Neighbors

I have this young couple living across the road from me. They are two of the nicest kids (and they are kids - my cat is almost as old as they are). Now, having said that; when I moved here five years ago, the young man was sharing the house with 2 or 3 other young men. They were nice but they were normal barely twenty-somethings. Loud music, loud toys, loud parties. The yard made Sanford & Son look good and when the trash from their parties blew all over the neighborhood (read: into my yard) they weren't terribly concerned. Actually, they weren't concerned at all. If the trash in their yard didn't bother them, why would it bother them for it to be in my yard.

Over the last few years, I've watched these youngsters turn into men. The young man who owned the house (it had been his dad's and before that his granddad's) met and married a sweet young girl. The other boys found girls and some moved out and then back in but with a different attitude. When the kids found themselves pregnant, the act really got cleaned up. And when the baby came, Mama said, "it stops here" and it did. The yard got spiffied, the noise quit, all but one of the young men found other places to roost. I got to watch these kids grow into young adults. The kids now have two little ones - I can play grandma again.

Their house was built by his paternal grandfather and grandpa built the house I live in as well. It was built for the maternal grandmother. So maybe he feels a little history with this property. He's come over to help when something was broken and I didn't have a clue. He's helped with heavy lifting or, when I was laid up one winter, keeping me supplied with pellets for the stove. They made sure I have their phone numbers "for just in case".

At the beginning of summer, I noticed a tree just south of the house with a hollow center. Not a good thing. These are very old, very large oaks. I had visions of a bad storm and this tree breaking and landing on my roof. The guys cut their own firewood every year so I asked if he'd fell the tree and take the firewood. A couple of nights ago I came home to find him and a friend felling my tree. I asked if there was enough firewood to make it worth their while and they responded that they'd have done it if there had been no firewood at all and when the season opens, they'll come back and take care of the burn pile. "We need to be there for grandmas who live alone and don't have family to do things for them, that's why our homes are where we can watch each other."

There's hope yet for this country and the world with young people like this coming of age. They love to play; they have their winter toys and summer toys. They ski and ride toys that need mufflers and sometimes their yard returns to Sanford & Son, but not for long. They still party, but with babies sleeping in the house, the noise level is way diminished.

I'm really lucky. The homes here are set apart but the neighbors are close. And today, I know how fortunate I am and what a blessing it is to have these young people just across the road!