I know the old saying "good fences make for good neighbors" has a measure of truth for those who are not neighborly or someone who doesn't care for their home or yard.
What does it mean to be neighborly anyway? If you live next to someone, you are by definition a neighbor but what does adding an "ly" to the word, do?
Neighbor:
1. A person living next door to or very near to the speaker or person referred to.
2. A person or place in relation to others next or near to it.
3. Any person in need of one's help or kindness (after biblical use)
Neighborly:
1. Characteristic of a good neighbour, especially in being helpful, friendly, or kind.
A new neighbor moved into our farming corner and shortly thereafter as I was hosting a garden club at the farm, she stopped by to say hello to me and to them, since she knew several of them. Not long after, we got to meet the familywhen I stopped to see some projects she was working on. We discovered we shared many similar hobbies. This sharing of ideas and showing interest in each other's lives created a thread, a living vibrant connection between us. She brought over some warm artisan bread one day that she had just baked. I pulled some items together for a charitable project she was working on at Christmas time. Then this week she did something that literally brought me to tears.
She posted a video of her husband flying a plane over their home. I responded how cool that was and that he should take pictures next time he's flying. Now, two things just happened here. I cared about something that was important to her family by making a comment. She listened. She took note of something I would like.
I got a text from her the other day that said "go outside, I'm flying over". I ran outside and saw the plane making a pass over our farm and then theirs. I took a video and immediately texted it to her. What I got back from her was what brought me to tears. I had just left the house and saw a text come in so I pulled over because I saw it was a picture from her. I opened it, and wept. She took a picture of our farm and sent it to me. She remembered.
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| WallFlower Farm |
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| Our farm |
Now, back to my neighbor who remembered I would love a picture of our farm. She gave me a view of our home in a way I'd never seen it before. It flooded my mind and soul with a perspective I had yet to experience. I realized how important this place had been in my life. Transitioning from a busy life with younger kids to searching for what my next role in life would be with married older children and now young grandchildren. This farm has been a place of discovering what to write in that next chapter of my life. I now know I'm good at growing flowers and designing with them. I know I can write and am now a" soon to be published" author. I will open my very own retail store: a flower and gift shop on Monday 1.8.18 and I think I've got a good start at being a successful business. These are all things I had never done before. New territory.
This picture affirmed that God was leading me to a good place and letting me discover things I would love doing. Things that would enrich my life and others lives.
How I love the wonderful neighbors we have. Our fences are to keep our animals contained and safe. They disappear from view when seen from above. What you can't see are the people who watch out for each other, take care of their animals when they take a rare vacation, call when something seems out of place and stop by, just to say hello.
We all have neighbors but my hope is that you are as blessed as I am to have "neighborly" neighbors, and that if you're not as neighborly as you'd like to be, make the change. Be the neighbor you'd like to have. I know I can do better. Kristi Nelson Tidwell, you've inspired me to be a better neighbor and to reach new heights this year! (pun intended)
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