The first few months on our block we met no one. It was the heart of Chicago winter, cold & miserable. The occasional neighbor might be seen as they made the mad dash between car and house trying to avoid too great a chill. But spring finally came and with it came the Sues. Yes, two of them, one in the house north of us and one in the house south of us. And with them came my confidence to start seeking out more neighbors and friendships. Most recently I have been in awe of our good fortune in having a lovely young couple two houses over whose son is just a few months older than A. They have developed such a cute little friendship. "Buddy" as they often refer to each other running around the playground. It's so sweet to watch how well they play and interact despite how young they are.
In my own moments of self-doubt I imagine myself unlikeable and wonder who would want to be my friend. Luke finds this absurd, but since he married me I think he is kind of bias. But that being said, I find this new venture into being a good neighbor quite a boost. A few weeks back when the power went out on our block my phone was abuzz with texts and calls from neighbors checking with me to make sure they weren't the only one. Of all the folks on the block I was the one everyone felt comfortable checking with, and that feels good.
Little Buddies
