Blog Connect: Neighborly Love by Design

Do you remember the welcome wagon? Is that still around in some communities? I'm showing my age... The things that go through my mind... I remember when I was young taking flowers to the neighbors, cookies or homemade goods. I remember going out of my way to connect and make new people feel comfortable. Where has that gone? I so often seem to be the new person and everyone else around me is already established. I have moved almost 30 times in the last 25 years... I always reached out and rarely experience that in return...

I introduced myself to the neighbors on both sides of me when I moved into this house... That was an odd experience. One doesn't really speak English and smiles at me now and then... The other is just nuts... there is no other way to put it. It's best that he doesn't talk to me...

After living in this house for two years, I was walking through the grocery store and a woman came swiftly across the store to introduce herself. She told me that I was her neighbor, that she lived across street, and started to describe her house... Yes. She does live across the street: almost directly and I have never met her.... barely even seen her. She told me how she was raised in that home, moved back to care for her aging parents, they passed away and she and her husband decided to stay... Then in the last year her husband passed and that she had just been dealing with moving forward with life and apologized for not meeting me sooner... She was sweet and lovely and promised to invite me for a glass of wine in near future. We are all on a journey; just in different stages...

A couple months go by and I am just swamped... Probably running from the driveway into the house. I saw her sweeping her entry a couple of times and knew that I needed to reach out. I made a point to catch her at home and invite her to music in the park. She already had plans... Yet, I found out more about her. She is a teacher and has a forth grade class that starts next week... She was preparing and was getting ready to connect with a work friend about a project... More info in my data bank... I made another note of how long to let time go by before I invite her over for a glass of wine.

We all get so caught up in our lives... the ways that we used to connect with family and community has changed so much over time... Now there is tv, the internet and texting. Little to no personal connection. I was caught up in work, relationships and myself and she was struggling with some pretty serious life events. The days should come back when you can go to a neighbor and have a cup of coffee and just get comfort and support.

She is kind and lovely. I know that there is a possible connection and friendship that can develop: whatever that may be. How many times have I locked myself out of the house or had a minor issue that I could have really used the support of someone that lived near by? Many... Don't we all need that? Don't we all want to be able to just reach and have people there?  I am determined to pursue that and make it a reality. She reached out her hand and I will create that bridge to make it happen. We all need deeper, genuine, authentic connections and I don't want to let the opportunity to foster that pass me by....

Who has moved through your space and you missed connecting with them? Teacher, neighbor, someone at the gym??? I am making a conscious effort not to miss opportunities to connect and authentically be present. That is my journey....


Kimberly R Lifestyle by Design 
Designing a life with grace and ease