Being a Good Neighbor

Thursday, May 22, 2008
Being a Good Neighbor
Current mood: blessed
Category: Life

Being a Good Neighbor

It's a rainy day in Arizona today. The weather is beautiful considering that it is usually about 100 degrees or more by now. It was hot just a few days ago. We are so grateful for these little breaks from the heat. God is good.
Every time it rains, no matter where I am, I am always reminded of my sweet neighbor, Lilly Mora. We call her Mrs. Mora. She did a simply unforgettable thing one day. If you know me, I may have already told you this story.

When we were living in California, it began to rain one day. I have always enjoyed rainy weather but I was having a bad day and for some reason the rain made me feel worse. I was at home with my then 6 children. (I have 8 now) My house was a little messy, the kids were bored out of their minds, and I was feeling overwhelmed. I was feeling sorry for myself. I was sitting by the window nursing my baby girl, Petra and crying. I picked up my head and looked out the window to see Mrs. Mora walking with her umbrella in one hand and something else in the other. She was coming to my house! So I wiped away my face and ran to make sure that my eyes were not red from my crying. Aurora my then four year old ran to greet Mrs. Mora at the door. When we opened the door, Mrs. Mora had dinner and dessert ready for us! She prepared a Chile Relleno Casserole and Jell-O Cake.
She set it on the table and we invited her to come in and sit for a while. All my kids loved Mrs. Mora, and so everyone sat to chat with her for a while. She told us about how much fun she used to have with her 6 boys when they were little. She told us that she loved to bake for them when it rained because there was nothing else to do. So she had been baking for the most part of the morning and decided to share what she made with us. We sat for a few minutes then she walked back home.
I was so surprised that she thought of me and my family. She really turned my day around. Here I was in my house feeling sorry for myself, and this little old lady comes and brings cheerfulness to my house. Mrs. Mora has no idea how much I appreciated what she did for me. I thanked her of course. But I couldn't tell her, I was so embarrassed. God bless Mrs. Mora.

The lesson that I learned that day was that we never know what's going on behind the doors of our neighbors. Not that it's any of our business, but we don't have to ask. You never know how a little visit might make someone's day.

Confucius: "He, who wishes to secure the good of others, has already secured his own."
George Eliot: "What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?"

Currently listening:Lean on MeBy Bill Withers