As my sister and I continue to prepare our parent’s home to be sold, we have been blessed by the kindness of their neighbours. Since our mother’s passing in November, the driveway was shoveled after every snowfall, mail taken in, and offers of coffee when we were there working. As we near the day that the house will be placed on the market, we continue to be grateful for a kind word or a hug from the people that they had formed connections with in the past 15 years.
This past weekend, we were invited to a traditional Ukranian meal by the neigbours that live across the street. My parents had always enjoyed the meal, typically served at Christmas, so it was without hesitation that we agreed to be spoiled with the promise of delicious food and good company.
The evening went beyond my expectation, as I was not prepared for how touched I would feel to hear the neighbour’s memories of who my parents were to them. To hear that my Dad would leave tomatoes on their doorstep, or how my Mom would come by with a warm apple pie, gave me some insight as to their relationships outside of family. I am grateful for the amount of time the neighbours put into preparing an unforgettable meal, and am thankful to have heard such kind words spoken about our parents.
Shared experiences become part of the richness of our memory bank, they help to reinforce the importance of connection; they feed our soul. When the opportunity comes your way to share an experience with someone, set aside your to-do list and say yes; it is time well spent. 🙂
Photo credit: http://Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash
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What wonderful confirmation, and a reminder that the world is a wonderful place, full to the brim with kind and caring people. And how cool whenever we hear stories of our parents outside of their role as parents. No matter how old we get they are still our parents and we can’t seem to help ourselves in viewing them only in relationship to ourselves. An enriched memory bank indeed.
Hi Gurlie, I agree! It was so nice to hear about my parents outside that role; although we did discover that every year they were sent home with leftovers…and we never got any! Haha 🙂
this is so enriching. real neighbors. not much of that anymore but we’re lucky to have that. give without expecting anything. be kind=dividends/gratification
Thanks Brian! And so true; when we are kind, it comes back to us. Thank you for your continued and kind support 🙂