Neighborly love at its best! My children have missed daily interactions with our neighbor (a mail carrier who is also a double lung transplant recipient) who is at increased risk of complications from COVID-19. More than a year ago, my youngest daughter (3 years old) was missing our neighbor, so she drew a picture, asked for an envelope, put it inside, and had me write our neighbor’s name on it for her. She quickly ran outside and put it in our neighbor’s mailbox before I had the heart to tell her it’s not ok to open other’s mailboxes.
The next day, our neighbor put up a tiny mailbox behind his postal box, just for neighborly mail. They’ve been exchanging cards, art, and tiny tokens of friendship for more than a year now. This photo is of her most recent trip to the ‘tiny special mailbox’ to deposit a card with her first ever spontaneously written letter ‘M,’ which is the first letter in her name. Love grows best in tiny spaces.
As the months passed, the tiny mailbox became a cherished part of our daily routine. My daughter would eagerly wake up each morning, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, wondering what delightful surprise might be waiting for her. Sometimes it was a simple drawing of a flower or a heart, other times it was a small trinket like a shiny pebble or a colorful feather. Each item was a testament to the growing bond between our family and our neighbor.
One particularly memorable day, my daughter found a small, hand-carved wooden bird in the tiny mailbox. Attached to it was a note from our neighbor, explaining that he had whittled it himself during his recovery period after the transplant. He wrote about how the bird symbolized hope and resilience, and how much joy our little exchanges had brought him during these challenging times. My daughter was over the moon with excitement and insisted on making a special thank-you card adorned with glitter and stickers.
As time went on, our neighbor’s health improved, and he was able to resume his daily walks around the neighborhood. Although we still maintained a safe distance, the sight of him waving and smiling brought immense comfort and happiness to our family. The tiny mailbox continued to be a conduit of love and connection, a small but powerful reminder of the kindness and compassion that can flourish even in the most difficult circumstances.
One sunny afternoon, as my daughter and I were planting flowers in our garden, our neighbor approached us with a small package. Inside was a beautifully crafted scrapbook, filled with all the drawings, letters, and tokens that had been exchanged over the past year. Each page was a colorful tapestry of our shared experiences, a testament to the enduring power of neighborly love.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the profound impact this simple act of kindness had on all of us. It wasn’t just about the drawings or the trinkets; it was about the connection, the sense of community, and the unwavering support we had given each other during a time of uncertainty and fear.
As we flipped through the pages of the scrapbook, my daughter pointed to a drawing she had made of our family and our neighbor standing together, holding hands. “Look, Mommy,” she said, “we’re all friends forever.”
In that moment, I knew that the tiny mailbox had done more than just bridge the physical distance between us; it had created a lasting bond that would continue to grow and flourish, no matter what challenges lay ahead. Love truly does grow best in tiny spaces, and sometimes, the smallest gestures can have the most profound impact.
Neighborly love at its best! My children have missed daily interactions with our neighbor (a mail carrier who is also a double lung transplant recipient) who is at increased risk of complications from COVID-19. More than a year ago, my youngest daughter (3 years old) was missing our neighbor, so she drew a picture, asked for an envelope, put it inside, and had me write our neighbor’s name on it for her. She quickly ran outside and put it in our neighbor’s mailbox before I had the heart to tell her it’s not ok to open other’s mailboxes.
The next day, our neighbor put up a tiny mailbox behind his postal box, just for neighborly mail. They’ve been exchanging cards, art, and tiny tokens of friendship for more than a year now. This photo is of her most recent trip to the ‘tiny special mailbox’ to deposit a card with her first ever spontaneously written letter ‘M,’ which is the first letter in her name. Love grows best in tiny spaces.
As the months passed, the tiny mailbox became a cherished part of our daily routine. My daughter would eagerly wake up each morning, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, wondering what delightful surprise might be waiting for her. Sometimes it was a simple drawing of a flower or a heart, other times it was a small trinket like a shiny pebble or a colorful feather. Each item was a testament to the growing bond between our family and our neighbor.
One particularly memorable day, my daughter found a small, hand-carved wooden bird in the tiny mailbox. Attached to it was a note from our neighbor, explaining that he had whittled it himself during his recovery period after the transplant. He wrote about how the bird symbolized hope and resilience, and how much joy our little exchanges had brought him during these challenging times. My daughter was over the moon with excitement and insisted on making a special thank-you card adorned with glitter and stickers.
As time went on, our neighbor’s health improved, and he was able to resume his daily walks around the neighborhood. Although we still maintained a safe distance, the sight of him waving and smiling brought immense comfort and happiness to our family. The tiny mailbox continued to be a conduit of love and connection, a small but powerful reminder of the kindness and compassion that can flourish even in the most difficult circumstances.
One sunny afternoon, as my daughter and I were planting flowers in our garden, our neighbor approached us with a small package. Inside was a beautifully crafted scrapbook, filled with all the drawings, letters, and tokens that had been exchanged over the past year. Each page was a colorful tapestry of our shared experiences, a testament to the enduring power of neighborly love.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the profound impact this simple act of kindness had on all of us. It wasn’t just about the drawings or the trinkets; it was about the connection, the sense of community, and the unwavering support we had given each other during a time of uncertainty and fear.
As we flipped through the pages of the scrapbook, my daughter pointed to a drawing she had made of our family and our neighbor standing together, holding hands. “Look, Mommy,” she said, “we’re all friends forever.”
In that moment, I knew that the tiny mailbox had done more than just bridge the physical distance between us; it had created a lasting bond that would continue to grow and flourish, no matter what challenges lay ahead. Love truly does grow best in tiny spaces, and sometimes, the smallest gestures can have the most profound impact.