The people that I meet when I'm walking down the street

Today I am thankful for the people in my neighborhood, in my neighborhood, in my neighborhood...

Two years ago when we were looking for a new house we made a list of things that were important to us: a good school district, a big backyard, 4 bedrooms, a large kitchen, off-street parking ...  We wanted a safe neighborhood that had a lot of children, but we never could have imagined a place like this.  A place where neighbors really are neighbors.  A place where my children will make lasting childhood memories.

First day of school 2011

Last day of school 2010

A place where we know not only the names of the people living in the houses beside us, but we know the names of the people three blocks away.  A place where block parties rule.

A place where gingerbread decorating parties, superbowl parties, ugly sweater parties and Mexican fiestas happen.

A place where we rarely shovel our own sidewalk and a place where leaf rakers are abundant.

A place where we feel safe letting our children play at the park.

A place with a heart and soul.  A place I am proud to call home. 

My children are lucky enough to walk to school with their friends on the "walking train" which is supervised with trained crossing guards.  
When the weather cooperates both the moms and the kids get to play at the park after school.

I am so very thankful that my children will get to grow up in a place where they can ride a bike to their friends' house, or gather up friends at a moment's notice for a game of tag.  There is always someone to play with, someone to have a sleepover with,

 someone to enjoy a birthday party with,

and for the adults someone to share a glass of wine and some gossip with!

I feel good knowing that the parents of my neighborhood are the village that will raise my children.  There is an unspoken awareness that all our children belong to each other.  That comes in handy when I get the phone call alerting me to the fact that Charlie is riding his big wheel by himself around the corner from our house without pants!

We even have a neighborhood association that organizes many events each year including an Easter Egg hunt in the park, a neighborhood-wide yard sale complete with concessions, an end-of-the-year school celebration, a Halloweeen/Fall Festival with a bouncy house and face painting, Breakfast with Santa and a Holiday Home Tour -- just to name a few!

I am part of a book club that meets at various homes in our neighborhood (and even takes the occasional field trip to the movie theater, or an Ethiopian restaurant!). 

If one of our neighbors is suffering, we have a "Caring Club"to let them know that they are not alone.  It may be a home-cooked meal delivered to the door of someone who just had knee surgery, or a bottle of wine given to someone whose tree crushed their car, maybe a gift card for gas to help someone travel to visit a relative that is ailing, or a gift basket filled with cards to help someone grieve the loss of a loved one.

This neighborhood feels like all the best parts of my childhood rolled together.  We share in each others triumphs and tragedies yet we are so not Desperate Housewives.  We may not have gotten everything we wanted with our house, but we got more than we ever could have dreamed for with our neighborhood.  The dictionary defines a neighbor as "one living or located near another" -- that does not even come close to the meaning of neighbor as defined by the people of Highland Park!

The end!