I just received a message from my neighbor who asked if I would like to stop by to taste her homemade blueberry cheesecake ice cream. She prepared four little cups with spoons for my family to enjoy her ice cream later. She uses fresh blueberries and the most delicious crumbles of crust to make it seem like you’re eating the most amazing treat! It is so good.
This is the neighbor who makes homemade ice cream for people every summer.
As I left her house, practically galloping home with joy, ice creams in hand, I thought of how much I love having a neighborhood with neighbors who serve and love one another. There’s the neighbor who makes Polish Cabbage Rolls for us, the neighbor with the smoker out back to smoke meats and fish for our block party and who always seems to have firecrackers on hand for the kids, the neighbor who makes mulled cider for New Years Eve, and the neighbor who, without fail, drops off treats on my doorstep just because she feels like baking.
I love thinking of each house and saying, “That’s the neighbor who. . .” Every neighbor plays a special role.
It’s a challenging sentence to complete if you wonder what people might say of our home, of your home. Are you the one bringing meals, offering a helping hand, or organizing an event? Are you the neighbor who gathers? What would we want others to say of us?
I want to be the neighbor who listens and encourages and stands ready to bring food for hurting families. As I grow older and and my children leave, I could be the neighbor bringing treats to the younger children. Who knows? I think of the uniqueness of us all and all the ways we might bless those around us.