What got me thinking about this was a conversation Jude and I had earlier in which she had confirmed that our elderly next door neighbor, Ms. Rachel, would be alone on Christmas. Her niece, who lives with her most of the time, apparently was going to be out of town. It saddened me to think about Ms. Rachel being alone on Christmas with no one to talk to and no gifts to give or receive. It just didn't feel very Christmassy, if you get my meaning.
I also felt a sharp pang of guilt, too, as I thought about Ms. Rachel and how little we interact with her on a daily basis throughout the year. Sure, we check in on her every now and then and occasionally pick up an item or two from the grocery store or Walgreens. What we don't do, though, is go next door to see her, sit down, and just talk to her. I can't help but think she gets lonely, particularly since her health has not been good the last year or two.
I guess it's more than a Christmas thing but I am so busy with life, personally and professionally, that I don't think about how Ms. Rachel - or others like her - are doing. I don't think about what I can do - in even a small way - that might have a outsized impact on her life (or others' lives). It's so easy to write a check to WPLN (Nashville Public Radio), Renewal House, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and the 21st Judicial District Recovery Court - and Jude and I do that every year. They're all worthy non-profits. What's harder, at least for me, is to give my time to someone or something. In some ways, I suppose, my time is more valuable than money.
Part of the problem, too, at least as it relates to Ms. Rachel, is that she is a private person, is fiercely proud, and doesn't seem to like the idea of accepting handouts from a neighbor. I'm struggling, today, to find a way to see her and interact with her more - to do more for her - without intruding, imposing, or making he feel like a charity case.
Yesterday, Jude, JP, Joe, and I walked next door after we had opened some of our gifts for each other. Jude had made a plate of food for Ms. Rachel and we gave her Kroger and Walgreen gift cards. What we did that mattered as much or more, I think, was to sit down in Ms. Rachel's living room and talk with her for 15 minutes. And you know what? It was nice, for us and for her.
I led the conversation as I often do because I'm naturally inquisitive about people and, of course, as a trial lawyer and mediator, I spend a lot of time trying to persuade people to tell my about themselves. Yesterday, we learned that Ms. Rachel has lived in her house since 1972. Coincidentally, she moved into her house the same year my mom moved into our house in Brentwood. Without question, Ms. Rachel has lived on our block longer than anyone else.
We talked about the changes she had seen in our neighborhood. Becker's Bakery, come and long gone, was a place that my mother used to go to when she visited Nashville as a young lady, before we moved into Brentwood. We talked about the beautiful mansion across the street and when it burned down, years ago, when it was owned by Jenkins Wynne, a local realtor who died of cancer way too young.
We talked about our old house on Elliott Avenue and the leaf party we had for the kids every October. I talked about how the woman to whom we sold the house cut down our beautiful and stately maple tree last summer. It was nice to visit, even for a few minutes.
I hope we can visit more with Ms. Rachel in 2025. I hope we can find a way to do more for her and that she will let us into her leg a little more. That would be nice.
This Christmas, I'm grateful for my family, for sure, and for what we have and are able to do. God has blessed us beyond measure.
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