Helping a Neighbor

Riding bikes can be so much fun especially as a child. One day when I went for a bike ride my Guide joined me half way around the block. Pointing toward a house he stated that the lady living there was very lonely. Surprised I suggested we should go visit her. That would be really nice my Guide assured me. After a quick knock on the door, a young looking 85 year old lady came and opened the door up. She looked out and saw me, then looked back and forth down the road. As a retired school teacher, she probably was expecting to see someone in addition to the young four year old girl smiling at her shyly. Once the lady was convinced there was no one else she said Hi. I responded back Hi. The lady said that she guessed no one else came with me? I agreed that no one else came with me. The lady asked if there was something she could do to help me. No I responded that I just came to visit her. I had enough experience to know that most people did not understand about Guides, in fact most grown ups got really scared and would get funny like you might be possessed or contagious even though we all have Guides. I knew it would be best to leave their Guides out of the conversation. The surprised old lady figured that I was safe and invited me inside the house. She led me into a beautifully decorated sitting room, indicated where to sit and joined her on a chair opposite the small couch. We sat in an uncomfortable silence for a short while, the older lady expecting me to have a purpose or question for this unexpected visit, but I didn’t have one. Well the lady finally asked what was it you came to see me about. Oh, I just came by to give you some company. This lady laughed in bewilderment. Oh, I thought you came with a real purpose, she responded. What would be a real purpose, I asked. She suggested that I would have something to say or tell her something of importance. Oh, I assured her that there was no other motive and that I really just came by to give her some company.

Well are you thirsty?” the older lady asked. Oh, that’s ok I can get something to drink at my house, it’s just around the block, I assured her. You were nice enough to stop by for a visit, the least I can do is offer you something to drink. Normally if we were at my house, she continued, there would have been a variety of things to offer you both to drink and eat but here I can only offer water.

Water is fine I answered. As the kind lady filled the glass with ice cubes, I asked “what did you mean at your house, isn’t this where you live?” As I drank the freezing cold water she responded, “Well, my house was a long way from here. I’m older now and my son thought I should not live alone any longer. He came to get me and brought me to live here with him and his wife. The only thing is that his wife doesn’t seem too happy about it. See my son travels a lot and leaves us alone for long periods of time and I’m a burden to her. She sighed and said “well this is not the reason for your visit to hear me complain about my troubles. I’ll tell you what, the next time you stop in for a visit, if you decide to come back again, I’ll be sure to have some thing else to drink and maybe even some cookies. Would this be alright?” She asked.

I returned the next day only to find the old lady very surprised but provide me with another glass of water. I must have shown my disappointment after the promises made yesterday because the lady explained that she hadn’t gotten around to going to the store to pick up some supplies. She continued that it wasn’t because she was too busy after all there was nothing for her to do here. No, that her daughter in law would be far too inconvenienced to take the time to drive her to the grocery store. It would work out better for her in the long run if she just waited until her son got back into town. It would have to be over the weekend therefore I should come back some time next week to visit again.

The following week when I stopped for a visit, I was greeted by a very happy woman that kindly invited me into her home. As I sat on the small couch the lady said she’d be back in a moment. She came out of the kitchen with a beautiful tray laden with goodies. She poured me hot tea into a fine china cup and offered all kinds of treats. It was the lemon flavored hard candy covered in sugar that sang to me and kept me coming back every few days and even after they disappeared.

One day my mother decided to follow her in the car to see where she had been spending so much time the past few months. My Guide assured me it would be alright to let her follow. Once I was in my neighbor’s house sipping a cup of water, the door bell rang and my mother was invited inside. The conversation turned to boring grown up talk but my Guide assured me that I wouldn’t need to worry about this elderly lady any more that she would be alright now. I excused myself and left the grownups to talk amongst them.

As it turned out, my mother developed a friendship with this lonely lady. Later she convinced this lady’s son that it would be much better to let her move into a group home that she wanted. Shortly after he did and his mother was happy socially and made many friends. My mother maintained contact with her and even visited her before her death a few years later.