A Lesson from Mrs. B.

I would like to share a story with you about a woman in my neighborhood, Mrs. B. While I’ve changed a few facts for reasons of confidentiality, the essential elements are true.

I live in a true 1950’s style neighborhood. Kids play outside together running from yard to yard, the first one out blows the snow from the neighbors’ sidewalks, and people usually look out for each other.

Until her death at the age of 90 plus years, Mrs. B. was an integral fixture in the neighborhood. She was known for her beautiful flower gardens. Her face lit up when she passed out candy for the kids at Halloween. She loved talking about her adult kids, and commented about how fast the neighborhood kids were growing.

As she got older, Mrs. B. occasionally needed a bit more help from the rest of us. From time to time she needed help with a garage door that wouldn’t close, or a phone that didn’t seem to work. Occasionally, she might become a bit disoriented and need some help and reassurance. Nobody minded.

Demographic data tell us that more and more of us will be in similar situations in the coming years. While it isn’t always possible, my hope is that plans are in place to allow more people to remain valued members of their communities, as my neighbor did.

We don’t always recognize the value that seniors, people with disabilities, and others who are not so very different from ourselves add to our lives. Too often, we think that they need to be somewhere else, where they can be “taken care of”, or “with other people who have similar interests and needs”.

Helping others to be woven into the fabric of our communities isn’t always the simplest option, but it sure has its rewards.