다른 분께서 이 게시판에 올린 글입니다. 좋은 이웃의 조건에 대한 감동적인 글이라 공유하고 싶어서 다시 퍼다 올립니다.
A few days ago, I read a poem called 'The Neighbor' by Greg Razran. In this poem, the writer's neighbor dies of loneliness. The writer regrets that he never cared to strike up a conversation, or greet him with a simple hello even though he saw him sitting on the porch everyday. The world is drying up fast these days. Many people don't even know the names of their next door neighbors. The same goes for me. I think kindness and a caring mind are the most important qualities of a good neighborhood.
Caring about others is not that hard of a task. All you need to do is show a little bit of attention. Instead of just passing each other without saying a word, go ahead and say, "hello." Break the ice when you're in the elevator with your neighbor. From then on, you can share more of your thoughts when you run across your neighbor in front of your house. What began as a simple greeting can lead to a treasurable relationship one day. Who knows, you might save a life.
Another important quality of a nice neighbor is kindness. In my childhood, I had a great neighbor next door. When I lost the keys to my house, she kindly invited me into her house until my mother arrived home with a key. My mother and I both thanked her very much for the generosity. If it weren't for her, I would have been sitting on the doorsteps until dusk. One day, I had to knit a scarf for a school project. I didn't have a clue on how to start. I had never knitted before. When I told my neighbor my distress, she invited me to her house and taught me how to knit. I finished my scarf perfectly and now, I am an excellent knitter! Even the most trivial actions are considered to be great kindness. Just like I remember my neighbor after all those years, you can be a treasurable memory of someone.
There's a saying, 'Close neighbors are closer than far away relatives.' Neighbors close to us can influence us in many ways. They can be remembered as a special someone in your life. Inversely, you can be remembered as a special someone in their life. Neighbors can add a little more sugar to your life. Kind and caring neighbors can sprinkle on the world and end the drought of indifference.