Loving your neghbour

Yesterday, Thursday May 29th I was at the home of Ron and Charlotte Thompson in south Sarasota for another celebration of my birthday. Wowee!

Ron and Charlotte are new friends, I met them two years ago via an introduction from my St. James’s, Cambridge Secretary and friend, Judy Beers.

They asked me to bring Ben which I was glad to do, and they were cool when I asked if I could also bring my neighbour Dave.

What a wonderful evening. We enjoyed good food - very good food - and we talked and laughed until we were silly.

Just a few minutes ago today (Friday May 30th), I stepped out to enjoy the lovely evening warmth.

There was Syd. She is a neighbour, and an utter inspiration. She has A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and “should be dead by now”. She comes out in her electric wheelchair, with her dog “Sparky”, and to see her is to glimpse hope. To talk with her is to see hope incarnate.

“Little Betty” came wandering down with her dog “Cocoa”. (We call her “Little Betty” to distinguish her from another Betty who lives opposite me). Little Betty is the most genuine and un-complicated of my neighbours. She “got my number”, by intuition. We chatted a few weeks ago, and it was only then that I discovered that she is a regular volunteer at the local Food Bank.

Sometimes it is easier to love my neighbours more than I love myself. What a blessing!

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