Happy National Good Neighbor Day everyone!!!

Happy National Good Neighbor Day everyone!!!

A little history for you…

National Good Neighbor Day was created by Becky Mattson (of Lakeside, Montana) in the early 1970s as a way to encourage neighbors to be good to one another and then President Jimmy Carter made it official with Proclamation 4601 on September 24^th, 1978.

How might you celebrate National Good Neighbor Day you ask?  There are countless ways to do so and odds are you’re already doing so with your neighbors!

• Have your kids write encouraging words on sidewalks with chalk.
• Write a short note to a neighbor in need.
• Pop by a neighbor’s home with some baked goods or potted flower.
• Host a small get-together or driveway social.
• Look for ways to help neighbors in need of help.
• Partner with a neighbor to coach sports or volunteer for a nonprofit.
• Offer to help those in need when inclement weather strikes.
• Start a monthly club to discuss books, share meals, play games or play dates with the kids.
• Encourage and help neighbors to decorate for different holidays.
• Organize a group that welcomes new neighbors.
• Share lawn and gardening tips.
• And I’m not hesitate to ask a neighbor to borrow a tool.

All good ideas and I’m sure you’ve got some great ideas of your own!

And speaking of being a good neighbor, I love coming home each day to my home and my neighbors.  Many of them have become close friends where we all lookout for one another… they make my house a home.  Granted you can choose your home but not necessarily your neighbors, we should consider ourselves lucky if we have good neighbors.  And if you don’t, maybe it’s an opportunity to nurture that neighbor to a good neighbor!

I’d like to share with you some of the great things happening among my neighbors…

One neighbor brings my trashcans from the street to my garage after pick-up day.  After a long day it puts a smile on my face… and to this day that neighbor remains anonymous,

Several of my other neighbors and I take turns meeting in one another’s garage at night and talk about antique boats and motors. #goodtimes

My dog sitter and his wife always invite me over to their home for parties… and they have them regularly.  They’re the BEST HOSTS!!!

Across the street, my neighbors constantly spread positivity, open their home up to everyone and are always helping other neighbors!  They throw great hurricane parties, too!!!

Another neighbor, who religiously walks his dogs, has the most amazing life stories of his travels all over the world.  Everybody knows him and I could listen to him for hours.

Also, If anybody in our neighborhood ever needs anything, we post it on our Facebook page or Nextdoor and everyone is always happy to help.

Maybe you have a hard time meeting neighbors…

I connect with my neighbors, as I’m often in the yard or garage, by waving to every car that drives by and every person that walks or rides a bike by my house.  Of course you can always connect through neighborhood events, yard sales and other socials. And before you know it you’re having a conversation and soon thereafter at one another’s home socializing.

Sometime life gets in the way… I get it… we all get busy. At times I feel like my days are a rerun of the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray.  I think we can always find time for the things that are important.  And the small things, regardless of how trivial they may be to us, may make a huge difference to our friends and neighbors who may have just had a bad day or god knows are dealing with something more tragic and you’ve helped them take their mind off of it even if just for a few minutes.  And we can give them a little smile…

My Mom and Dad love to bring smiles to their neighbors.  My Mom likes to do help neighbors anonymously and has been doing so for years… so much to where the Charlotte Observer wrote an article about her.  And my Dad is always looking for ways to help his neighbors.  He jokingly tells them… don’t you dare deprive me of the opportunity to feel good by helping you.

What really makes the connection (for me at least) is not the actual act, but the connection and conversation that happens while that act is taking place.

Whether it’s big things you do for your neighbors or the small things, I can with the utmost confidence tell you that your neighbors appreciate you (even if at times you don’t see it).

So I leave you with…

Although today we officially celebrate good neighbors… isn’t it something we should or could do every day? Be the reason someone smiles today!

Happy Good Neighbor Day everyone… make it a GREAT DAY!!!