Are you a good neighbor?

When our first child, Amelie, started her little preschool as a 5 month old, I noticed a teacher that always seemed aloof, not too friendly, and definitely not some one I was excited to care for my baby! I remember thinking how glad I was that I wasn’t leaving her with that teacher. Then along came our second, Holden. As I went to meet his teachers for the first time, there she was! Come to find out her seeming aloofness is due to the fact that she can hardly hear! She is the sweetest lady in the world, has more love for the children that you can imagine, and has more energy than 5 teachers combined (did I mention she is 76?!)

How many times do we judge people before we know their stories? I think we especially do that with our neighbors. These are sometimes the casual acquaintances in our lives that get a wave from the driveway but not much more. Or, they are the folks who watch our kids in the afternoons or leave their recycling bins out too long. Or maybe they are seemingly just a house with the wrong political sign in the front yard.

When Joe and I help some one purchase a home, we are acutely aware that we are not only helping some one move into a house they will enjoy but into a neighborhood, a community, a network of people. How can we become more a part of our communities? Here are some ideas:

· Volunteer in the upcoming “It’s my park!” day http://www.austinparks.org/itsmypark.html
· Think you have a grumpy neighbor? Do something for them on their terms (you want to bring them cookies, but maybe they have diabetes… find a true way to serve them). Find out their story and maybe they won’t be so grumpy after all!
· Put their garbage can back for them
· Make an extra batch of dinner and drop it off
· Mentor a child in a local school or volunteer in the local school (even if you don’t have kids or your kids go to private school)
· Buy those Girl Scout cookies with the door knocks!

My next-door neighbors must have keys to our entire block! They are the neighborhood caretakers, which is a good thing because there are many widows on our block. We are starting to volunteer in our local middle school, and I feel like we are finally investing in our little patch of Austin. Respond to this blog and let me know what you are doing in your neighborhoods, so I can spread the word!