Two Neighborhood friends and a fence that didn’t divide

Two Neighborhood friends and a fence that didn’t divide

25 years ago, our first child was born, and we began to dream of a home of our own.  Finally, we watched our tiny house become a home from the slab up.

This house came with another gift; one we didn’t expect.

I remember the first time I saw them. A man with a tiny girl and his pregnant wife looking at the house next door.

These houses became the homes of two young families. Sharing the burdens and joys of life as only neighbors can.

Our girls were welcomed into each other’s homes and yards and arms.

J and I built a relationship that has withstood the test of both traveling across many states.

Many moves. Many joys and burdens without each other.

But we have a bond that is unique.  No matter where we go or how long it is without any communication, we share a story.

We share an inseparable gift of a life lived together. Side by side.

This woman, she is who I ran next door to when my toddler burned her hand. Panicked. She sprang into action.

This woman, she is who I ran to when my new baby was colicky and she had crazy ideas, but I trusted her.

And they worked.

This woman, she is the first one who I ran next door with, when my pregnancy test showed a line.

And she hugged me and confirmed it was positive.

This woman, came to me when times were hard and I did my best to comfort her.

This woman, came to me when she was about to lose her mind, and I made her laugh.

This woman, came to me when she needed unconditional love and acceptance.

This woman, I trusted, and she trusted me.

These fences were open to each other. These windows gave us peeks into each other’s homes, while we yelled and laughed and teased through them.

On my trip to Arizona, we spent the afternoon together. Laughing and talking. Laughing and talking. Her daughter thought we were nuts.

It is true, J is a crazy woman 😉 and I love her for it.

Those babies are grown now. One graduated college. Two are out of high school. One is almost done.

So… we drove by our homes. Where other people are living out their own story. And we giggled as we stood out front, looking like lunatics, taking pictures in front of other people’s houses.

But they are still our “homes”. And we are still “neighbors”. This is the woman who lived life next door with me.

She will always be, my neighbor.

One of the sites I think demonstrates “neighborliness” well is The Turquoise Table. Check our Kristin’s encouragement here.

Tell me about the time a neighbor stepped in to the gap for you, or vice versa. If you’ve yet to have that experience, what would it look like ideally? Please leave a comment and let me know…

PS. crazy update! We never could have imagined when I wrote this, that less than a year later, she’d be moving away and we’d be moving back. At the same time!

Friendship resources you might enjoy:

• The One Year Daily Acts of Friendship: 365 Days to Finding, Keeping, and Loving Your Friends

• The Turquoise Table: Finding Community and Connection in Your Own Front Yard

• How to Win Friends & Influence People
• Messy Beautiful Friendship: Finding and Nurturing Deep and Lasting Relationships
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