Being Neighbourly

We've been in our house for almost three years. It's the kind of street where people rarely leave until the really have to, most of the houses are a little over 50 years old and many are still on their first residents.

This fall the neighbours on the east side of our place moved out, they needed somewhere with fewer stairs to accomodate their aging health. We spent a few weeks watching out our living room window as people came to see the house; who would our new neighbours be?

We've been hoping for either a family with young kids for ours to play with, or (even better) a teenage girl who could babysit. When the sold sign went up we watched even more closely and it seems like we didn't get our wish. We haven't met them yet, but it looks a couple in their mid-50's bought the place and are having a lot of renovations done before they move in. I can admit to being a little disappointed.

The thing is, whoever these people are, they are our neighbours. Today I read an article from Carolyn Arends, a musician I used to love a decade ago who now does a fair bit of writing and speaking. She talked about the reaction she had when her lovely family neighbourhood was overrun by grow-ops. What does "love your neighbour" feel like when the neighbour is in handcuffs?