good neighbors

same age, same name, remarkably similar looking, next door neighbors.

Lots of kids are in and out of here. We like it that way. When moving, we have always looked, first and foremost, at the friendliness factor of the neighborhood. Are kids zooming around on bikes, is there open access to plenty of exploring, are the yards littered with trampolines and swing sets and zip lines and sand boxes?

We have always been blessed with wonderful neighbors. Do not underestimate how important your neighbors are, my friends. Love your neighbor. Know your neighbor. Be a good neighbor. I know that my children, all three of them, can walk out my front door and be gone for the day and that they are in the most capable and loving hands. This is invaluable, and opens up a whole new world for my children where they can feel free, yet secure. It is how community was intended to work. They roam and wander and hook up with friends and stop and rest and snack and carry on and are nourished in their freedom.

They glean, on their own, our many differences and our similarities. They learn from our neighbors. Katrina's water tastes better and her house is like the outside came inside, Mimi has Dove bars in the freezer, Erika's garden is overflowing, Bill and Mary are building a bonfire tonight, Kristin makes good smoothies......

We don't get to choose our neighbors. They are sweet fate, but share a bond that's similar to family.

It takes a village, or a neighborhood, and for a kid, it's their own little world.

If you don't know them, then it's time to go knockin' on doors. I do it all the time....kids in tow!

Bottom line. Love your neighbor.

Didn't the Big Man mention that somewhere? :)