Everybody Needs Good Neighbours
My next-door neighbour just dropped in the keys to our house that my mam and dad gave her over 30 years ago. Mrs. D (as I called her for as long as I can remember) was one of my Nan’s best friends and a true friend of the family. She would always come over and laugh with my nan as they smoked their cigarettes. She was a consistent figure in my life growing up. I remember seeing the pain in her as she struggled to process the passing of my mam and nan within 3 years. While my dad worked away, Mrs. D would cook us food when my sister and I came home from school. I remember watching tv with her and her husband (who sadly left us a few years ago) and feeling safe. So safe that I didn’t need to ask myself: was I safe? This woman, who didn’t have grandchildren at the time, treated my sister and I as if we were her own. I took this for granted as I was so surrounded by love that I thought this was normal (whatever that means). It was only after living alone in several different countries did I truly comprehend how blessed (and I don’t use this word lightly) we were to have a neighbour such as Mrs. D. Her willingness to help us when our family was in need of assistance was and is remarkable. It is women like Mrs. D that have provided me with the foundations for the person I am today and who I want to become. Mrs. D wasn’t interested in judgement or status, she was chiefly driven by her striking ability to make people feel cared for. I remember being so shocked to hear that some of my mates would get locked out of their house and have to wait until their parent or sibling returned home; I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t give a key to their neighbour? In my head, for a long time in my youth, I thought neighbour=Mrs. D. I’ve learned several times over that, unfortunately, that’s not a fair assumption. To have a Mrs. D is a profound rarity and I’m very grateful to have experienced that in my youth.
Today Mrs. D rang our doorbell with keys in her hand and something in her throat. She was close to tears. For a second I didn’t understand what was happening until she said “Over 30 years ...”.
Mrs. D is officially moving in with her wonderful daughter, son-in-law and 3 beautiful grandchildren. Her time on my road is coming to an end, but the love she shared will remain long after she leaves. I know house prices are mental at the moment, and there’s a lot of talk about location and proximity to amenities etc but a part of me can’t help but appreciate how valuable it would be for a home to have a Mrs. D next door. Of course, it is incredibly difficult to decipher the “quality” of one’s neighbour at a glance and the process could easily move towards murky water filled with superficial judgement but I just know my home is more precious with a neighbour like Mrs. D. I know neighbours and community at large will never steer far away from my mind whenever I’m considering a place to lay my hat long term and that’s down to people like Mrs. D. Thank you, sincerely. We love you X
