what I want in a neighbor

-I want to know each other by name, friendliness

-I want to greet each other when we pass, or stop and chat a few minutes

-I want respect for each other’s privacy

-I want to watch out for each other

-I want mutual interest in neighborhood safety, appearance

-I want kind and helpful gestures

-I want sharing of useful information; respectful borrowing/lending

We have had our neighbors for 20 years now and they are amazing. Lynn and Edie were the first to welcome us to the neighborhood with a plate of cookies and a get-to-know-you visit. Later, when my husband was on a year-long assignment in Korea, they took me out to dinner several times to give me a break. John used to throw our paper from the sidewalk to the front porch each morning on his morning walk. We don’t take the paper anymore, but he continues to take his snow blower down the whole block, clearing everyone’s sidewalk for them. Until Stobbe died, he looked after us in so many ways, from repairing his window when my kids broke it (not charging us a penny: “I was a kid once”), to turning off the gas for me when my water heater broke. During that Korea year, I had my baby in my arms when I stepped outside the door and twisted my ankle. Marge was watching from her window and noticed me stumble then limp to the car. Before I knew it, she had organized the neighbors to bring in meals for me so I could keep my leg up as much as possible. Jim and Martha (both dead now) adored my children and welcomed them into their home to play with their dogs. Chuck and Jean have helped me with legal issues and all of them have supported children’s and grandchildren’s fund-raisers, recommended service people, loaned DVDs, returned miss-delivered mail, shared homemade goodies, hired my children to watch cats, clean out gutters, shovel snow or mow the grass. A large group of us go out to dinner once a month, just to catch up. It is a delightful time to celebrate our neighborhood and the special joy it is to have good neighbors.