Kindness Prevails

Kindness given, time after time

Migration has begun. Those of us who go to our summer homes are leaving, one-by-one. One immediate neighbor is leaving in two days. A distant neighbor is not going for another two weeks. I am going in eight days.

My next door neighbor left last week. This is early for them. They usually go about the same time I do. They left early because of a major medical diagnosis. They packed up and left in two days to go to their established medical providers in their home state.

They are in crisis mode. After receiving the results of the diagnostic tests, they had to reopen their summer home. They rushed packing, which usually takes a week or two, then had to dash across the country, all done while struggling to regain and maintain strength.

They are exhausted.

He called yesterday and asked if I would do them a little favor? He asked if I would go and adjust some water valves at their house. Their pool man had called him and the valves were shut off in reverse order.

Of course I would.

This couple has been exceedingly kind over the past years to both me and my wife. As my wife’s Dementia progressed, I placed limitations on her. She was not to go out of the house without me. Those rules were lost in the wind. I would notice her gone and about then she would appear at the door with a cup of coffee. She knew the way to the next door neighbor’s house and she always remembered the way home, to her safe harbor.

These neighbors bought a small coffee pot to make coffee the strength my wife liked. They bought disposable cups for her. They welcomed her into their home and encouraged her to tell them stories of her past, which she remembered.

I put my wife in the tub one day and she couldn’t get out. There wasn’t room in the small tub for her to turn over and the tub didn’t have any handles for her to grab onto. I couldn’t get her up. That may seem dumb, but I had not recognized how far her illness had progressed. Did I immediately call 911 to get her out? No, I called my neighbor, who picked her up like a baby.

My wife fell in the yard. She was obviously not hurt, but I couldn’t get her up. Once again, I called my neighbor.

I bought my precious trailer, which was a salvage. It looked like it should have stayed in the junkyard. My neighbor came over and started pecking away at it. He scrubbed and painted and inserted screws here and there until it looked brand new.

After my wife passed away, they invited me for Thanksgiving dinner, then Christmas dinner. Then periodically for coffee. They sort of adopted me in the same way they had my wife.

I bought the big chest which came in 100 pieces and was the wrong color. He stained it to the right color. Then we argued it together over several days.

Kindness given, time after time.

Would I do a small favor? Absolutely.

I hope someone is being kind to you. Let me know. I will gladly share some of the kindness from my neighbors. I care.

Sincerely,

Lynn Brooke

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Photo Credit: © 2023 Rachel Gareau