FENCES AND BOUNDARIES

In case I have not expressed this yet, I love my neighbors on our end of the block in my new to me house.  I especially love my next door neighbors---they are simply the best.  On one side is a young couple--- newly weds of about a year---in their 20's.  On the other side is a young (everyone seems to be young when I look around these days) family with three children.  I knew them before moving in since one of their girls is a very good friend of my granddaughter.  They all brighten my days when I hear them outside playing or we are sharing news over the fence.  Everyone is busy--but not too busy for a kind word to the old lady next door.

Both of these families have pets.  The young couple have a golden retriever and a dachshund who are barkers.  The other neighbor has Miss Kitty, we have talked about before, who loves to taunt Hero and a small dog I seldom see.  If I let Hero out and any of the pets are also out---a ruckus ensues ALWAYS!  If Miss Kitty is perched on the fence between our houses---Hero is falling all over himself wanting to get to her.  If the dogs on the other side are out, they begin barking and Hero is throwing dirt around with his back feet and sniffing and spurting (no bark--remember?).  I usually bring him in to keep the uproar to a minimum, but the dogs' owners are very conscious of the barking and bring them in also.  Have you ever heard the expression ~

I really like my neighbors, but can you imagine the chaos with the pets if we did not have fences?  Animals are prone to wander and will infringe on their neighbor's space if left to their own devices.  One of us from the three adjacent houses would have to be out refereeing the melee every time one of the pets dared to cross the boundary.  I love my neighbors, but I do not want to be out running their pets off or tracking them down  when they escape 24/7.  Fences are boundaries to keep the cows in the pasture, chickens in the pen, horses in the paddock, and dogs in the yard.  We keep peace by having boundaries and staying within them.  AND, if by chance, the gate is left open, the fence has a break in it, or some escape artist manages to squeeze through a narrow opening---we help our neighbors corral their livestock---be it four legged or two.  We don't stand at the fence yelling our displeasure---we are good neighbors and help out those next door.

Recently I saw the neighbor's two dogs slip out the door, they went after a walking couple and began running in circles.  I stood back and laughed as the across the street, one  neighbor flew out her door, the walker's joined in the corralling efforts, and everyone from next door spilled out the door trying to catch those two dogs.  No one was mad---no one was flustered with each other and we all walked away after the beasts had been caught with a smile on our face.  If only we could all be good neighbors---establish our boundaries to keep the peace--but always be willing to step up when we see a need.  Keep your fences in repair, but always have a spot where you can talk over or through the fence.  This makes for good neighbors.

"Love your neighbor

as yourself."

Leviticus 19:18

NEIGHBORS

 Would I be off the mark, if I said, most of us have had some trying times with neighbors at some point in our life?  NOW---I have had mostly wonderful neighbors, but there have been a few that pushed me to the limit.  Here in the apartment complex, I have over 700 neighbors.  It has been interesting to say the least.  The premier apartments in the complex are a couple of buildings of three story apartments.  Double garage, courtyard facing front door, all the bells and whistles in one luxury bundle.  This is the view daily, as Hero & I  make his noon time walk, of those luxury suites.    What is one to think?  This started out at Halloween and I thought it was cute---but after more than six months I am beginning to think there is a message being sent.  The door mat has this on it~"Leave-Laugh-Leave"

Being a good neighbor begins as a one way transaction.  Someone has to get the ball rolling when it comes to neighborliness.  Some of my favorite neighbors were in my last Ruston home in the French Quarter and those in the neighborhood where my children grew up.  What made them both so special---the time we spent enjoying one another.  We had a common interest beyond living in the same neighborhood and spent time enjoying each other in the midst of our commonness.  We raised children together, ate meals from the grill together, celebrated holidays with fireworks and more eating, and in the last Ruston hood we read books and discussed our different impressions and walked the loop and stopped and chatted.  It was ALWAYS enjoyable ! Though I am certain there were things about me that might have been annoying--it was overlooked because of our friendships.  Not unlike family, we so enjoy each other's company, that we look past those quirks that can be annoying.

SO--where am I going?  We all have neighbors of different sorts.  Neighbors in the pew on Sundays, neighbors we work with, neighbors we share interests with, neighbors we share the roads with...  We could easily call anyone we share space, time, interests, and on and on our neighbors.  What ties us together is much more important than our differences.  How we treat our neighbors is not only indicative of what we think of those neighbors, but it is a good indicator of who we are.  Think that over--the next time your neighbor annoys you.

"This is the first and great commandment.  

And the second is like unto it.

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Matthew 22: 37-39

I leave you with this quote ~

"Love of neighbor hinges on whether you love God with your whole being."

NOW THAT IS THOUGHT PROVOKING!