An Act of Neighborly Love

A number of years ago, my sister and her family used to live about twenty to thirty minutes from where I live. Even though I didn’t have a car then which made traveling to and fro somewhat inconvenient, it was quite nice. I got to see my sister and my brother-in-law, and I got to play and get close to my nephew and nieces. In fact, I often babysat them. I may not have gotten paid in money, but I did get paid in food. And that was more than good enough for me.

On one occasion, my sister and brother-in-law wanted to participate in a mud run and as such, wanted me to babysit my nieces (my nephew hadn’t been born yet) on the sidelines near the bleachers. I readily agreed, since I adored my nieces (the oldest was a toddler and the youngest was a baby) and liked babysitting them.

And it started well enough. I don’t remember everything we did, though I do recall taking a nice walk. However, as time went on, one thing became very, very apparent.

It was June. A hot day in June.

I usually do fine in the heat, but being out in that sun was honestly...not pleasant (may or may not be understated to avoid accidentally guilt-tripping my sister). By the end, I was sitting on the bleachers with my nieces, just waiting for the race to be over so we could get out of the heat. Then I saw an older lady sitting next to us with a big parasol. Now, I just happened to be holding my baby niece in my lap and since I knew that babies shouldn’t really be exposed to the sun (don’t worry, she had a bonnet on, but once again, it was hot), I moved slightly so that my baby niece could be sheltered under the shade of the lady’s umbrella.

I honestly tried not to invade her space (since that is just rude) and to be inconspicuous, but the lady noticed my movements and what I tried to do. However, she didn’t get mad. In fact, without a word, she moved her parasol until it was covering not only my baby niece but my other niece and myself as well.

I had a very nice chat with her after that and while I cannot remember what we talked about, I will never forget her compassion and neighborly love.

Because that is what love is, right? It isn’t just the big acts and gestures like chocolates and flower bouquets on Valentine’s Day. It is also the little acts and gestures, like getting the molasses jar off a high shelf for a customer or taking someone to Cold Stone as repayment for watching their children while they participated in a mud run.

You don’t have to be in love with the person or be related to the person to do these acts. You don’t have to know the person to help them out, or even see them ever again to care about them. A little kindness can go a long way to brighten your or someone else’s day. Or like in my case, a memory that you can look fondly on.

My brother-in-law once told me that love isn’t a feeling, it’s an action. As I have pondered that over the years, I have come to believe he isn’t wrong. We can choose to be compassionate towards each other, even if we are complete strangers. An act of service could mean a lot to someone, no matter how small it is. It could even change a life for the better.

After all, who doesn’t like the thought that someone, stranger or not, cared enough to help them out?

I know I do.