Welcome To The Neighborhood!

I recently moved into a new neighborhood.  During the month before the actual move I spent some time cleaning and upgrading the new house.  Each time I arrived in the driveway there was always one of the nearby neighbors either departing or arriving in their own driveway and they would stare at me.  I knew they were assessing me.  Wondering if I would be a worthy neighbor.  I was doing the same.  I was wondering if I would like the neighborhood as much as I liked the house.

Then on D-Day, when I finally arrived with a carload of breakable treasures and the moving truck behind me, they came across, one by one, to introduce themselves and welcome me to the neighborhood.  

That was when I really began to like the neighborhood I'd chosen to stay in.  It didn't matter that they might have come out of curiosity rather than to extend a welcome.  The fact that they had come at all was what mattered.

The houses around me took on a new life.  They weren't just stucco and shingles and shuttered windows.  They were filled with the chatter and laughter of people and these people; these neighbors, were the ones who had made me feel a part of their community by taking the trouble to meet and greet me.  

It made me realize that no matter how private we like to be in our lives and how much we all seek our little spot of privacy; it is nice to know your neighbor.

To all those who would watch someone move into their neighborhood from afar, don't be afraid to step up to the door and ring the bell and let them know who you are. Smile and shake hands and welcome them.

It truly makes a difference to the newcomer's first night in a strange house and neighborhood.