good fences make good neighbors

from robert frost, mending wall (link above)

Before I built a wall I’d ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offence.

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,

That wants it down.”

we've lived in this old house since 1992 - when we bought it, it was already 50+ years old. she's the coolest house ever and while i cannot see into the future, there is no place else i could see us living. it *fits* us.

we like our neighbors. we all pretty much keep to ourselves but if something was needed or something was happening, we all know we can depend on the other to help out in a pinch. it's been like this for 13 years now, it's not going to change.

i've had differences in opinions with my neighbor to my right. i used to go to bible studies in her home, but she pretty much has stated that Catholicism is no where near the way, the truth, or the life and we had parted ways, at least from studying scripture together. and when you mostly get together to discuss scripture or spiritual matters, all else seems to subside, as well.

then her husband became ill with cancer. i didn't realize how sick he truly was until her daughter called me on the day he passed away to inform me of his death. i felt sad because we had once been pretty close friends, but also put whatever wierdness i was feeling aside and totally pitched in where she needed me/us for food and flowers and such in the preparations for much company.

when i was outside today, puttering (again) for hours in my garden, she came out with her cup of tea and we got caught up over the fence. no animosity, discussed the details of her husband's cancer and the grace of God and then she said she never really told me he was sick because we had drifted apart. i didn't want to go into the why's so i just said "we are all so busy, i just didn't want to intrude." she then asked if i felt she was stand-offish or aloof, but i said "private - you are very private people." i also shared what we had dealt with all winter with bruce's passing and she understood and was glad i told her because she felt like i had pulled away (which i did, to an extent) but i also had felt like she had.

circumstances.

but as of now, today, it is okay. i know i can talk to her, we shared some spirituality things that had been going on and our religious differences didn't come up once, not in the 1/2 hour conversation. bless God :)

good thing we had our first talk over the fence, eh?