Dear friends,
There is a story told about a man who wished to move to a different area.
He saw a house which he liked and he decided to approach the next door neighbour.
He wanted to enquire about the neighbourhood and ask about the people living nearby.
The neighbour asked the prospective buyer a question.
He asked him to describe what was life like in his present neighbourhood.
The reply,
It's a dreadful place.
No one gives a thought about the person next door.
It's a case of everyone for himself.
The resident replied,
I'm sorry to say you won't find it very different around here.
Some time later another man came along with a view to buying the same house.
This time the same next door neighbour happened to be trimming a hedge.
Once again the same question was asked.
Tell me about the neighbourhood and the people living nearby.
The resident stopped his gardening work to chat with the visitor.
As in the other case he asked the prospective buyer what was life like in his present neighbourhood.
The new prospective purchaser explained that his present neighbours were wonderful people.
They looked out for one another and there was a wonderful spirit of co-operation all round.
So why are you leaving?
The very last thing I want to do is to leave my wonderful neighbours and friends.
But my job has moved and I need to find a new house in this area.
The response this time.
I'm happy to say you will find everything the same when you come here.
I'm sure you'll be very happy here.
What is all this about and what does it mean?
It means this.
For the most part we create our own environment.
If we display friendliness and co-operation we are likely to find that we are offered the same.
I'm sure there are some people who could be described as neighbours from hell.
Thankfully I've not come across any and my sympathy goes out to people who find themselves confronted with that challenge.
But for the most part you will find that most people will respond to respectful friendliness with the same.
Just a couple of years ago we were blessed with the arrival next door of Kathleen.
Kathleen can only be described as a neighbour from heaven.
Bright eyed,
Enthusiastic,
Friendly,
Welcoming,
Co-operative.
There are hardly words which adequately describe this lovely lady.
Sadly she died rather suddenly after living beside us for only a couple of years.
But we can still recall her happy smiling face.
Always positive,
Kathleen was always full of life.
A happy expression that was just as evident on the sad day when she died and when we looked at her body for the last time as she lay in her coffin.
No one we know has an unkind word to say about Kathleen.
Those who lived beside her and knew her were blessed to have known this amazing friendly lady.
We had the happiness of sharing just two years in her wonderful company.
Kathleen represented for us all that is good and neighbourly.
She exhibited the gift of friendliness which makes life easier for the people we meet.
We don't have to make a nuisance of ourselves.
Life teaches us to mind our own business and not to try to take over the lives of other people.
But there's a world of difference between the two extremes.
Friendly co-operation on the one hand and the unhappy modern tendency of each of us to live out our lives in our own little shell.
The people living next door are sharing part of the journey of life with us.
So let's be more friendly with them.
Let it be so that each of us will have more reason to miss the other when we are no longer living side by side.
Namaste.
