A surprise baby sprinkle.
It’s official: I have the most amazing neighbors ever. (I knew this before last night, but what I’m about to share with you just solidifies it.) Let me explain.
Right before Covid happened, I went out on a limb and asked my friend, Erin—social butterfly and Queen of the cul-de-sac—if she thought the ladies on our block might be interested in starting a book club. She swiftly sent out a text to five or six women living on Cross Bend Circle; I didn’t know many of them at all, and frankly, was nervous we’d hear crickets. But the response ended up being super positive, and it wasn’t long before our little monthly tradition was born.
I’m proud to say that, even through the worst of the pandemic, our book club survived: We always met outside, no matter the weather, with lawn chairs and beverages in hand, to discuss our latest read. We often discussed way more than just the books, and occasionally, the books didn’t even get mentioned at all. I’d like to think that while the literature gave us an initial reason to gather, it was the uplifting conversation that kept us coming back for more. We are all different ages and bring a variety of experiences and backgrounds to the table: Most of us are married with kids, but not all; some of us work while others stay home; a few of us tune into Fox News every night while a few others would rather watch paint dry. And that’s the beauty of it: These women—regardless of phase of life, situation, politics, or belief system—joined together effortlessly to create a sisterly bond during a time that we all needed it most. And still, in the midst of a particularly suffocating couple of years, our evenings together are a welcome breath of fresh air.
Even during the busiest seasons, when most of us are hard-pressed to muster the energy to read a whole novel or meet in person at all, our lively text thread—which is filled with life updates, funny memes, well-wishes, the rare SOS, and extreme weather reports—is enough to make me feel as if I have a community close by that constantly has my back. There’s really nothing more sacred than that in 2021.
So, what does all of this have to do with last night? Well, when I thought I was walking into just another “book club” meeting hosted in the beautiful backyard of our event planner extraordinaire, Erica, what I surprisingly arrived to find was an expertly-decorated party dedicated to me and baby girl. (Not only are my neighbors the sweetest, but they are also incredibly talented. I mean, just look at that gorgeous set-up!)
Cue all of the feels. As you can imagine, I was completely beside myself with shock and gratitude for this grand gesture that I in no way deserved. Never in a million years would I have expected such love, attention, and celebratory cheer of this magnitude directed towards me by any neighbor—especially in the rather depressing age of social isolation we currently find ourselves in, where everyone has a legitimate excuse to simply stay home and not engage. But, as it turns out, I live on the same street as the most thoughtful and generous human beings alive who genuinely care for one another, and prove it time and time again through endless acts of kindness. That’s something that, in this world, cannot be taken for granted.
I think it’s safe to say that I can file this night away in my mind as One of the Kindest Things Anyone’s Ever Done for Me. And also that, as much as I used to consider myself a city-or-country-and-nothing-in-between kind of girl, it’s dawning on me that this suburban life is actually pretty great after all. Thanks to these special women, I don’t think I’ll ever want to leave.