Thankful for neighbors

Four years ago, I was jolted awake by a noise that my mind couldn't place.  It continued sounding and I jumped out of bed to investigate.  Approaching the window on the front side of the house, I pulled back the curtains and saw a raging fire.  The neighbor's RV was going up in flames and the tires were exploding from the heat.  That night, many of us gathered on the street to watch the fire department extinguish what was to be the first of two large fires in our neighborhood in the coming months.

The second fire happened just two doors down from the original.  That same sickening sound awoke me, and I knew instantly what it was.  I tore open our bedroom window to find the house across the street engulfed in flames.  Running outside, we saw many of the same neighbors springing to action.

Thankfully, there were no fatalities in either of these fires, though the second one left the home's renter badly burned.  What proved to be a series of traumatic events for those involved also served to bring our neighborhood together as nothing else could.

We know that Charlie and his wife lost their daughter to breast cancer.  We know that a young dad underwent surgery to have a brain tumor removed.  We know when the nurse next door will be leaving to visit her mama.  We know that there were too many suspicious cars parked in front of the home of a teenager who appeared to be dealing drugs.  We've baked cookies, we've kept an eye out, and we've called police.

Earlier today my girls went to play with a neighborhood friend and made mini cakes.  She's now at our home as her mom goes to work.  It's a good feeling to know that we look out for each other and can be neighbors in the truest sense of the word.

Do you know your neighbors?  I encourage you to take a few extra minutes and chat when you go out to get the mail.  When you get invited to go to the Christmas block party, but you're hesitant because you don't know anyone, go anyway.  Neighbors are important and you can be an equally important witness as you simply take the time to show you care.