Good neighbors in MS taught me 3 powerful lessons
About the author
Beth Reed
A gracious home does not depend on size or price...it depends on the heart that inhabits the home. My focus is to help you find the right space to establish your gracious home.
There are few treasures in life as delightful as good neighbors. In the wake of Hurricane Ida, my husband and I made the trek to the Mississippi Coast for Labor Day Weekend. It was not a trip for leisure or pleasure. We were there for a purpose.
My mother-in-law passed away earlier in the summer. We made our way to Long Beach, MS both to check on my father-in-law and to lovingly sort through her belongings. As usual, our first order of business was to get our “home away from home” set up. We chose a place in Biloxi…well…because it had space available. Mississippi is a good neighbor to Louisiana; and many evacuees have temporarily settled along the coast.
Thankful to have secured a spot, we checked in to the Majestic Oaks RV Resort. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the grounds and the gracious hospitality. And, indeed, the resort does boast some beautiful and majestic oaks. We travel frequently with our travel trailer and it never disappoints. Once again, our Grand Design RV proved to be the perfect home base for an emotionally and physically difficult weekend.
The drive along Highway 90 is graced with charming Southern homes. Some are historic, like Beauvoir, the final home of Jefferson Davis. Some are still standing…having survived their fair share of storms. Some are boarded up…still reeling from the most recent storm and bracing for the possibility of a future storm. Some…well…they are simply enchanting.
Generous porches, elegant staircases and inviting rocking chairs. Many are framed by distinctly coastal “live oak” trees. If you ever find yourself on the Mississippi Coast, do yourself a favor. Take the scenic view. Drive along Highway 90. Admire the coastal homes.
So, how did we come face to face with good neighbors? Literally, we just showed up. The home next door to my husband’s childhood home was unusually active. Cars overflowed from the driveway into the cul-de-sac. A large, random dog greeted us after we parked. The sound of multiple conversations and laughter came from the back yard. This house was packed full!
Several displaced families converged here to escape the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Moms, dads, kids, grandkids…and a few extra dogs. They came seeking shelter…and air conditioning…and ice…and comfort…and community. And until further notice, this home at the end of the cul-de-sac serves as their overcrowded sanctuary. And they are grateful for good neighbors.
Lesson 1: Good neighbors open their homes to those who need shelter. On the spur of the moment. With no expiration date. Whether it is convenient or not.
And so our work began. Per my father-in-law’s request, we started in the storage shed in the back yard. Load after load, we hauled out old Christmas trees and boxes of Christmas decorations. Wicker baskets, yard signs, and an old baby bed. We were tromping through tall grass and maneuvering around recently fallen tree limbs. We were hot and sweaty…and still early in the task. I asked my husband if there were a lawnmower nearby. At least we could cut a path to make the trips back and forth easier.
We stood still for a minute and wiped our glistening foreheads. And then we heard this sweet, soft voice over the fence. A neighbor. A good neighbor. The same neighbor who was hosting the hurricane evacuees. She offered for her husband to cut the grass. She thought it might make our task a little easier.
She told us how my father-in-law had always been so kind to them. She told us how she sits and visits with him on the porch. My eyes filled with tears and I choked out the words “Thank you.”
Within minutes, we heard the lawnmower crank. Within an hour, the entire front and back yard were neatly mowed. And I was overcome by the thoughtfulness of good neighbors.
Lesson #2: Good neighbors are attentive to the needs around them. They listen. They watch. They offer help. They don’t delay in responding to a need.
Our work progressed. We moved from the yard to the house. We found all the things that make you stop and smile. Birth certificates, baseball cards, children’s handprints. Family photos, graduation announcements, wedding invitations. Unfinished cross stitch pieces, handwritten to-do lists, and lots of recipes that were probably never made. And in the middle of a moment of sentiment and remembrance, a loud knock at the door startled me.
I opened the door to find a wiry, older man leaning on a walker. His pants were pulled high and belted. His hair was a wind- blown mess. His glasses were covered with fingerprints. His eyes were wide and curious. He had seen all the activity and wanted to know what was going on. He was accompanied by a sweet, southern lady. She introduced herself as the neighbor across the street.
Unbeknownst to us, she cooks for my father-in-law several times a week. It turns out that she was making Chicken and Dumplings on Labor Day. She offered to share. I told her that we were leaving in the morning, returning to Chattanooga.
She offered to come visit after our departure. Visit and bring a warm helping of Chicken and Dumplings. For the second time in as many days, I barely choked out two words: Thank you. Inspired and humbled by the generosity of good neighbors.
Lesson #3: Good neighbors feed both body and soul. They care. They look out for one another. They don’t make a big deal about being kind or thoughtful. They just do it. And they do it in a way that maintains dignity and honor.
I learned a lot about good neighbors over the weekend. And it reminded me of a quote by William Faulkner. “To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” With all her quirks and complexities, Mississippi is a place full of good neighbors. And I, for one, want to be a good neighbor like the ones I met there.