™

Heartwings Love Notes 1010 - Kindness of Neighbors

Heartwings says, "A neighbor can be someone you are close to in your heart whether or not they live next door."

"Hello, my name is Mark Blazis, I'm your neighbor." A tall man with kind eyes stood on my doorstep holding out a bag of day-old bread. "I thought maybe you could use this." I thanked him, and that was the start of my long association with Mark Blazis and his dear wife Helen. From time to time he would stop at a local bakery, pick up bread and bring it to me and others. I was often the beneficiary of his generosity. His mother, who lived in Worcester, and I, also became fast friends and spoke on the phone nearly every day.

There were no neighbors nearby where I grew up. I have been fortunate in having very special ones since. He and Helen were lovely ones. We often exchanged gardening tips and family news over tea. Years earlier, when I lived in Manchester by the Sea I had a neighborhood with wonderful neighbors. One in particular was a glorious source of help and information about sewing and other things. Too, while our younger children were friends, her older daughter used to babysit mine.

All of this was long ago. The world has grown smaller since. First the Internet, then Zoom as well as a growing field of other methods of communication have made it possible to think of people across oceans as neighbors. I once wrote a song that has proved to be prophetic. It began "The world is a worldwide neighborhood, with neighbors on every side." I have friends and neighbors everywhere now, and meet more all the time.

The funeral home doors were wide open. My young friend and I joined the line, standing before the steps as more and more people arrived for Mark's visiting hours. Dying suddenly and unexpectedly though he did, people still found out and gathered in the hundreds to pay tribute to his gifts to them and to the world of nature. My young friend and I moved slowly through the rooms for about forty-five minutes.

Then I spotted a sofa and sat down for a bit of a rest. The lines snaked in and out of many rooms as the people who knew Mark waited patiently to speak with his family. My friend spotted a wheelchair sitting folded up in a corner, pointed to it and said, "Would you like to sit in it? I'll push you." I thought that was a capital idea. As I got on, people in the line helped me get settled, unfolding the foot rests. How kind. Now I no longer had to stand. Though feeling rather weary, I felt blessed.

About fifteen minutes passed as we inched forward. Suddenly another blessing was granted me: one of the funeral directors appeared and said, "Come with me. He guided us past the long lines of people, right to the family. We were able to pay our respects and then the director helped my friend bring her car to the handicapped entrance. I said goodbye to the helpful wheelchair and returned it to the corner. I had to wonder if my dear neighbor, Mark, had somehow done me one last favor and sent the kind man to my aid.

May you be a good neighbor to others and receive the same back.
Got any easy recipes to share? Food stories to tell? I so appreciate your comments and thoughts. Please write to me at tashahal@aol.com, and for more love notes, check out www.heartwingsandfriends.com. Thanks!
 

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

← Back to Heartwings (Index Page)

   - Click here to print this page

Prev|Next