“Be the Neighbor You’d Want to Have”

I noticed something off the other day — the yard next door, usually clean and cared for, had grown wild with weeds. Not the kind of neglect you expect from someone who takes pride in their space. A few weeks passed, and still, no sign of the neighbor. So I grabbed my gloves, pulled the weeds by hand, and treated the smaller ones with weed killer.

Later I learned the truth — the man of the house had suffered two heart attacks and underwent a quadruple bypass. They’d been too quiet because they were too overwhelmed. It reminded me that sometimes people disappear not because they’re lazy or careless, but because they’re hurting.

We talk a lot about community these days, but being a good neighbor is the oldest, simplest form of it. You don’t need a title, a reason, or permission to care. Just a moment of observation and the willingness to act.

“If you want to live in a good neighborhood, be the neighbor who makes it good.”

We all get our turn to struggle. Just make sure when your turn comes, someone notices your weeds too.