When my husband and I were house hunting I don't think we ever considered the neighborhood. We were pretty focused on the house, which is normal I suppose. However the house we bought is in one of those neighborhoods where your house and the one next door is separated by little more than your driveway. Definite potential for awkward moments if you and your neighbor don't see eye to eye.
We were lucky though and hit the neighbor jackpot. The woman next door was a single, hardworking mom with two beautiful daughters. I think the girls were pre-teen at the time and they took a liking to my husband right away. Since sometimes he's like a big kid he was always ready for a snowball fights or a water balloon fight. I remember one day he even came in the house and said they had pulled him over on his bike for speeding and could I "make" him some money to go and pay his fines. I knew he was going to make such a good daddy.
It wasn't long after that that our oldest daughter was born. The youngest next door started babysitting her when she was around six months old and she's been our go to babysitter ever since. I've never had to worry about my kids when she's here. They even go to bed for her which is truly remarkable. She's always willing to help too. Like when I was laid up in bed during my third pregnancy, not only did she come over and watch my kids all day, she also helped me make the cake for Lorelei's first birthday. Or when we were in the NICU with our youngest and she helped out watching our kids and made sure the dog got fed and let out.
She's a senior in high school and she'll be leaving before we know it. We are going to miss her dearly. It's been such and honor and pleasure watching the neighbor girls grow up into such beautiful and caring women.
I know they turned out so great because of the way they were raised. I've always admired their mom. I knew she worked hard all day, commuting thirty minutes or more and then came home and was mom and dad. She took pride in their home and was always taking care of it and improving. Then I would think of all the others things she was doing too, laundry, cooking meals and helping with homework. The thought of it all made me tired and I'm sure she was but it never showed. She was always so happy and positive and encouraging.
Then she met her fiance and I watched her happiness grow and grow. And even though I know they will be moving soon, with no kids left at home to be closer to their jobs I couldn't be more delighted that they found each other. It will be a joyous occasion when they get married in a few days.
Now maybe I'm coming off as a stalker-ish neighbor but when you live 20 feet from someone else's house for nearly ten years you develop a rapport. We've become those neighbors who borrow a cup of sugar, a stick of butter or a bag of shredded cheese. The neighbors who call each other when you realize you are not going to be home and the dog needs to be let out. The neighbor you call to borrow the game of Scrabble who says "Sure, I'm not home right now. But here is how you break in..." The neighbor you call to rescue your cat from a recliner or a bunny from your window well. The neighbors you find yourself talking to for thirty minutes when you only meant to take out the garbage. And the neighbors who make homemade sympathy cards when your pet dies.
They are the neighbors that invite my kids over to frost cookies or play games for a couple of hours so I can have a "mommy break" or a nap. The neighbors that take our kids out for ice cream and collect worms for them to play with. The neighbors who don't freak out when my girls play on their lawn and let them pull their flowers to give to their mom. The neighbors who exchange Christmas presents and go to one another's birthday parties.
The verse "Love your neighbor as yourself" keeps running through my head. And how could you not love your neighbor when they've always supported and encouraged and motivated you? They've set the bar pretty high for whoever our new neighbors may be and I know that they will always have a very special place in our hearts.
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