Neighbors

We have some great neighbors that really seem to care about each other. When we moved in, we introduced ourselves to everyone right around us. We have the best neighbors ever next door, George and Billie, who we guess are in their late 70's or early 80's and have lived in their house since it was built in the 50's. We always chat with them when we're both outside, which is pretty often. We've even gone so far as to take them some banana bread, and they've given us some muffins. We also tried to talk to our other next door neighbor, Roland, who was 82, a widower and a little gruff. But he seemed to enjoy our company the couple of times we talked with him. Unfortunately he passed away about a month ago, and now his house stands empty. We're not sure what his family plans to do with the house. But we really haven't spoken much to our across-the-street neighbors since we moved in.

A couple of months ago one of them was trimming some tree branches from a ladder after some strong winds had knocked them down to his roof. He fell and was knocked unconscious, and another neighbor ran to tell his wife to call 911. The last update we've had is that poor Gerry was in a medically induced coma, supposedly so that the surgeon could put steel posts in his neck and hopefully reverse any paralysis that has set in since the fall. Several of our neighbors have been taking care of his wife, getting her car battery replaced, feeding her cat during the first few weeks when she was at the hospital nonstop, doing yardwork, driving her to the hospital if she needs a ride. I think this is wonderful, but it seems like reverting back in time to see people pulling together in a community.

I was lucky with the rent house where I lived previously, having Mike and Susan next door, but I had known them already half my life. All of my other neighbors were a little scary and I had no desire to get to know them better other than briefly saying hello from time to time. So I'm not used to this caring neighbor thing. I want to let Gerry's wife know that we are thinking about them and to let us know if she needs anything, but I just can't seem to get the nerve up to go knock on the door, having only spoken to her once before. I feel like I'm invading her privacy. I'm determined to get over whatever is holding me back, though. I want to be a good neighbor too.