My 90-year-old father-in-law John still lives in his own home—an American Foursquare originally built in 1922 on the East Side of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
It is the kindness of family members and neighbors that allows him to continue to live (and thrive) in his own home.
While my spouse and her sister handle all his weekly grocery shopping—Target runs, doctor’s appointments, bill paying and managing of bank accounts for him—it is the kindness of neighbors and other family members that we are reminded of all year long.
Every single morning, one of his neighbors walks around the block before 7 AM and makes sure the daily newspaper that John subscribes to is placed on his top step. That way, John does not have to walk beyond his front door out to the sidewalk where the newspaper is often tossed by the delivery driver.
Another one of his neighbors brings over food several times each week to make sure John has a meal or a little extra food in his house in between grocery store runs. This neighbor loves to grill and BBQ all summer long, so summer meals often consist of grilled hamburgers, chicken, steak, or pork chops, or really, any type of food that can go on the grill—along with homemade salsas and salads.
A third neighbor makes sure that his garbage & recycling cans are brought out to the alley on pick-up day and then put back in place each week. During the winter, they extend their kindness by shoveling snow or chipping ice away in order to move the cans to the alley on pick-up days.
While we can afford a small family-run lawn care and snowplowing service to handle John’s outdoor chores, my brother-in-law is always willing to handle any other odd jobs that John may need help with. Whether it’s tree trimming or putting up Christmas lights, many of John’s calls begin with, “So the dryer (or furnace or sink) had this issue, what do you think that’s about?” My brother-in-law’s willingness to always pick up and chat with John is so appreciated.
These daily and weekly acts of kindness from John’s neighbors and family members really add up over time, leaving me amazed at the generosity and kindness of so many people. Ultimately, John can successfully thrive in the comfort of his own home thanks to the kindness that has manifested throughout his community.
