Last August we got new neighbors. I was nervous.
This August, I came out of my house and heard, “Jessie?” The woman who moved in just about a year ago. “Do you have ashes? In your backyard?” She went on to tell me about the tiny bugs that were eating away at her rose bushes, the ones she has carefully planted and cared for since her arrival.
I checked our fire pit, that doesn’t get much use, and reported back that I did not have ashes. “But, I texted the neighborhood group chat and I think we will have some ashed by the end of the day!” She beckoned me over to show me the roses and the bugs.
I empathized and assured her we would figure this out. But before I turned to leave, I had a sense of deja vu. I was back on a tour of my own Grandma’s garden, a regular occurrence any time I visited. The accent was different, but there was something familiar and I was overcome with a feeling of love. As I said goodbye, I wondered what it would feel like to hug this woman…would it feel like my Grandma’s embrace?
The woman who notices my dresses from her window and tells me regularly how much she loves my clothes. The woman who assures me quite regularly that I’m a good mom. The woman who baked my family a cake when I was away at a work conference.
On Halloween night, after a few hours of walking the neighborhood, our doorbell rang. “I already turned off the light,” I said. “Our bowl was empty.” I looked out the front entryway and seeing no one, I went to the side door. It was my neighbor, her arms full of treats. “You didn’t have to do all of this!” I exclaimed as she handed me the carefully packed goodies.
“You’re my kids!” she exclaimed.
This time I didn’t hesitate. I wrapped my arms about this sweet woman…
It wasn’t the same…
But it was good.
Where There Is Joy 
I enjoyed reading about your developing relationship with your new neighbor. We’re perched up on a hilltop, which is lovely, but means we have few interactions with our neighbors. I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t know all their names! I’m so glad you reached out to give your kind neighbor a hug. Connection is what it’s all about, right?
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what a gift- such a sweet neighbor.
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Crying!
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Oh my goodness! I was teary writing it! 😢
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I’m glad the zoom meetup got you to stop and capture this lovely slice about a sweet neighbor. Your slice reminds me of why writing is so important. For one, it allows us to stop and reflect on the great things right next door!
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How wonderful, and what a delightful slice to read this morning. The human connection is strong here, and what a gift your neighbor is!
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Such a beautifully crafted post. I loved paragraph 4 and the structure you used to paint a picture of your neighbor. Sounds to me like it’s a win/win for both of you.
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It’s such a gift to have wonderful neighbors! I’m delighted you have someone so caring next door. 🙂
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Jessica,
Your post move me to tears. Thank you for this sweet story of connection. I loved your ending:
Lovely!
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Everyone needs a hug!
Great craft moves in your slice! Since my students and I have been talking about stylistic fragments—what makes them a fragment, why we use them, what the author’s purpose might be, etc. I was a particularly drawn to three in you piece: “The woman who notices my dresses from her window and tells me regularly how much she loves my clothes. The woman who assures me quite regularly that I’m a good mom. The woman who baked my family a cake when I was away at a work conference.”
Here’s what I noticed about them.
1.The power of three. This is accomplished by #2 and #4 .
2.The use of repetition. “The woman who”
3..How they focus on the subject of your slice. Your neighbor is the woman. 4.The use of parallelism. Each fragment begins with a noun phrase. A relative clause beginning with “who” is next. Within each relative clause is another dependent clause.
5.The order of the fragments is important. First the woman is identified by her noticing your clothes. Then she is identified by her judgment of you as a good mom. Then she is identified as one who does something for your family. She is connecting to you through noticing your things, noticing your relationship, caring for your family. This is an important build up to a satisfying climax, you hug her.
Superb crafting!
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❤️so much feeling in this slice.
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This post, Jessica, makes my heart full with the reality that there are STILL wonderful people in the world with huge hearts and the capacity to care for others. I am inspired to be a better neighbor!
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Oh, how I loved reading this story. Not the same… but still awfully good. I’m glad for the hug, and really glad for the love.
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