Good neighbors have always been there for us. In an emergency they’ve used our spare house key to unlock the door for the ambulance and EMTs responding to Robert’s emergency 911 call and on holidays have shared home baking. It makes sense, therefore, that on May 16—National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day—we pause to appreciate those who are closest to us.
We were second generation homeowners in our Rochester, New York neighborhood. Many of the original owners willingly shared past stories about the street. Flora, our neighbor across the road, was a huge help.
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Without being asked, she regularly brought our garbage can to and from the curb, trimmed bushes, and swept the driveway. She kept a watchful eye on our place. If we left the garage door open, she let us know. When we were away and allowed a friend to work in our garage, she confronted him and had to be convinced that he had our permission to be there.
Mary, our next door neighbor, was friendly across the fence. Her gardening advice was invaluable. One day when Flora was helping Robert weed an overgrown flower garden, they started hacking at what looked like a dead bush. Mary helped me stop them from destroying the gorgeous lilac bush that blossomed in the spring.
When we were negotiating to buy the lot on which we built our house in Stuart, Florida, I sensed the owner was just as concerned to get a good neighbor for her daughter who lived next door as she was to get a good price. When mailing our financial offer, I included enough personal details to persuade her we were suitable neighbors. Thankfully, our classification as good neighbors wasn’t spoiled when we had to hook up to her daughter’s well for 10 days while our well was surged after sucking too much sand.
Other Stuart neighbors have also been a godsend. They’ve helped lift heavy packages and suitcases, raised the garage door when we were trapped, and plunged the toilet. Anonymous neighbors have carried palm fronds to the organic garbage pickup pile and wheeled the garbage can up the driveway.
As newlyweds in Baltimore living in a multi-level apartment building, we had to learn how to be good neighbors. Despite not talking loudly in the hallways or running the dishwasher late at night, the noise from dragging the stool across the kitchen floor resulted in neighbor complaints. In this case, being a good neighbor meant replacing the stool with a carpeted platform along the length of the counter.
Over the years we have been good neighbors when we—
—watched a child while her mother took her sister to the ER.
—shared plants, coconut palm saplings, coconuts, and fruit with whoever wanted them.
—welcomed new neighbors with flowers.
—stopped guests from parking on our neighbor’s lawn.
—kept an eye on their home while they were away.
—prayed for them when they grieved the loss of a pet or recovered from surgery.
So what are your good neighbor experiences?
This post is adapted from the second book in my dwarfism trilogy, PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/pass-me-your-shoes/.
