A Visit With Ms. Betty

Yesterday, Oscar and I walked across the street to visit with our neighbor, Ms. Betty. It was cold and rainy and I almost chickened out. But, thanks to the accountability of the internet and yesterday's post, we soldiered on!

Ms. Betty came to the door and immediately invited us in. Her home was much like my grandparents used to be, a little too warm, full of a lifetime of collectibles, and game show blaring on a too loud tv. It was wonderful. Oscar immediately started groping for every breakable thing within his reach. And let me tell you, it was a porcelain wonderland! Needless to say, he was restrained to my lap for most of our visit.

We came armed with a box of thin mints and Ms. Betty told us all about how her family had just been to visit for her birthday. Her church even threw her a birthday party and over seventy people came! Can you imagine the love she must have felt!? So amazing. Ms. Betty has been in her home since it was built, over 40 years ago. She still takes her own trash to the street and works in her garden in the spring. She lost her husband some years back so, she says, she doesn't do as much as she used to. But I think she is amazing. Every Sunday I see her in her robe picking up her paper, and taking her neighbor's paper to their porch so it doesn't get stolen. I'm so glad we got to spend some time together.

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Community

Growing up, mine was always the house where people congregated. It seemed like there was always an extra person or five in our living room and we loved it that way. There was always a sense of family and safety in our living room. Now that we have a living room of our own,  I really want our door to be open to our friends and our community.

We hosted community group last night and it was great. We've been discussing what it means to love our city and as we were sitting there staring at each other I started to really long for that true community again. We have good friends, don't get me wrong. But there is definitely something lacking in our willingness to be intentional with people, friends and neighbors alike.

This is something Jerry and I have been discussing for a while now as we really dig our roots in to this city and this home as a family. We are in it for the long haul and we want to be that house. That safe house where people know we will welcome them in, whether it be for help, conversation, or just a glass of water. Especially now that we have Oscar, we want to teach him what it means to love your neighbor. And there's no better way than to actually do it.

We are really fortunate to have a home and a life where we can make these choices. It's time to be intentional. To be local. To engage and be the community. Not just look on from my front window. For me, it starts with a visit to Miss Betty, the elderly woman who lives across the street. When Oscar wakes up from his nap, we'll go see her and hopefully have a visit. If she isn't home, we'll try again.

We are neighbors after all.

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