As horrible as this pandemic has been, I think we are all constantly trying to find a silver lining. Our silver lining has been enjoying our neighborhood. After almost 10 years of living in our house, staying home has given us the chance to meet a lot of our neighbors. Everyone is out walking, nobody is in a rush, and we all have time for a little small talk. Back in April our toddler would knock on the window and wave when people walked by. One afternoon, when we were outside, one of our neighbors told us that seeing her wave would make his day! It’s been nice trying to appreciate these little things.
A few months back one Saturday, our neighbors drove by and said “driveway drinks, 4:00.” We thought maybe he was joking, but then at 4:00 the chairs went out to the end of their driveway, and so we joined! Since that first Saturday at 4:00, driveway drinks has sometimes been one of the only things we have had to look forward to! Not only has it given us a social outlet, but it’s also given us the chance to get to know these wonderful people, that for the last 10 years all we did was wave hello.
COVID has caused us all to miss out on so much, but our neighbors have tried to make the best of it! We had a surprise driveway baby shower to welcome the new twin girls two doors down. We had a surprise driveway bridal shower for the new Mr & Mrs around the corner. And tonight they had a surprise driveway 1st birthday party for Iris with presents, balloons, and cake!
We didn’t have to cancel our wedding, or baby shower. Our kids weren’t supposed to graduate high school. We didn’t miss out on a trip we were planning for months. But for us, not being able to have a big 1st birthday for our baby was the biggest thing we’ve had to miss out on. Tonight was the surprise we needed to make her 1st Birthday feel special!
So if you’re feeling a little crazy and sick of being stuck home with nothing to do, try reaching out to your neighbors. You might not even realize how much you need each other to get through these times!
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