by Father Mark Goldasich
It’s said that good fences make good neighbors. I believe that it’s good neighbors who make good neighbors.
Gordon MacDonald of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, recalled a flight he and his wife were on flying back to Boston. In the row in front of them were two women and children — one woman was in the window seat, a little girl occupied in the middle seat and the woman on the aisle held an infant on her lap.
MacDonald hoped the kids wouldn’t be noisy, but his prayer wasn’t answered. The turbulent flight hurt the kids’ ears, and they wailed in discomfort. The women tried to help. The woman at the window played with the child in the middle seat, hoping to make her feel better by paying her a lot of attention.
Toward the last part of the flight, things got worse . . . much worse. I’ll let MacDonald continue the story in his own words:
The child in the middle seat got sick. The next thing I know she was losing everything from every part of her body. The diaper wasn’t on right, and before long, a stench began to rise though the cabin. It was unbearable.
I watched as the woman next to the window patiently comforted the child and tried her best to clean up the mess and make something good out of a bad situation. The plane landed, and when we pulled up to the gate, all of us were ready to exit that plane as fast as we could. The flight attendant came up with paper towels and handed them to the woman in the window seat and said, “Here, ma’am, these are for your little girl.”
The woman said, “This isn’t my little girl.”
“Aren’t you traveling together?” asked the stewardess.
“No,” said the woman, “I’ve never met this woman and these children before in my life.”
Suddenly, I realized this woman had found the opportunity to give mercy. She was, in the words of Christ, the person who was “a neighbor.” (Story found in “1001 Illustrations That Connect,” edited by Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof.)
Did you know that this Sunday, Sept. 28, is National Good Neighbor Day? President Jimmy Carter made it official by a proclamation in 1978 where he wrote: “. . . we are mindful that the noblest human concern is concern for others. Understanding, love and respect build cohesive families and communities. . . . [T]his sense of community is nurtured and expressed in our neighborhoods where we give each other an opportunity to share and feel part of a larger family.”
We’re living in a time of rampant loneliness. Celebrating Good Neighbor Day could be the beginning of a cure for this national “ailment.” Having it on a Sunday this year should make it easier to set time aside. Chatting with fellow parishioners after Mass in the back of church or in the parking lot is a great place to start. Or perhaps inviting neighbors over to watch the Chiefs. Or maybe just making time to learn the names of your neighbors!
There are a slew of resources and practical suggestions online at: nationalgoodneighborday.org. Check it out.
Be warned, though, that being a good neighbor might make them dependent. One of mine often comes to my door begging. OK, so this “neighbor” is a Pomeranian named Porter who loves his Purina Beggin’ treats that I can’t resist giving him (with the permission of his owners, of course). Hey, who said that your neighbors could only be humans?
Let’s resolve to be good neighbors — not just for one day but every day — to humans, animals and all of God’s creation.
