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Ever wonder what it means to be a good neighbor? Or better yet – have you ever thought about what nice gesture or act of kindness a neighbor of yours might appreciate? Perhaps a neighbor where you live? Could even be a ‘work neighbor.’ In any event, someone with whom you share a proximity – and someone who could almost certainly benefit from some form of human goodness. These are the simple things. Being aware. Being thoughtful. And taking action. So, vitally important, especially in these times when people are feeling increasingly isolated and lonely – and very much looking for community.
Won’t you be my neighbor? It’s a phrase all of us have heard, made famous by the one and only Mr. Rogers. Yet when he said this, Mr. Rogers wasn’t necessarily referring to someone we live next to, he was also referring to treating those whom we meet throughout our lives. Each one of us will be the giver or receiver of someone’s help. To be supported and supporting others enables us to connect with other people. When we’re a good neighbor, we help build trust, hope, and understanding. Realistically, a neighbor could be just about anyone. It could be someone we sit down next to on a plane, a person we’re in line with at the grocery store, even someone who may not come from the same place as we do, but who we share a mutual experience with. So, in this context, what does it mean to truly be a good neighbor?
Back on September 11th as the world came to grips with the events that unfolded that day, what also emerged were countless stories of how humanity can bond and come together in difficult times. One of those stories took place in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, population just under 10,000. An American woman named Jackie Pinto was flying home from Italy when the news broke and her flight became one of more than 250 flights that had to divert to Canada, including 38 commercial flights that landed in Gander that day, an airport that usually sees only a handful of commercial flights a year. After spending 24 hours on their plane, they were cleared to go through customs, yet neither Gander nor the surrounding areas had enough hotel rooms for the almost 7,000 passengers who were stranded until American airspace reopened.
And so local TV stations put out a call to “lend a hand, do what you can.” Within hours, schools and nonessential businesses were closed, and Newfoundlanders ranging from senior citizens to schoolchildren stepped in to volunteer and support the stranded travelers or ‘Plane People’ as they became locally known. Schools, legions, churches and more became temporary residences. Some people even opened their own homes. Pharmacies filled prescriptions for free, phones were installed so the Plane People could call loved ones, and even the Gander ice rink was turned into a food bank which was dubbed ‘the largest walk-in freezer in Canada.’ Not only that, but locals organized town tours, bowling matches, and even concerts.
To be so kind to complete strangers may seem out of the norm, but as one local woman put it, “You don’t turn your back on your neighbors.” Life is incredibly unpredictable and even when we’re not faced with the life-altering impact of 9/11, it can still be incredibly hard. Yet what the people of Gander demonstrated that day is a valuable lesson about our capacity to be kind and help others. Each of us has our own challenges and face our own adversity each and every day, and so to be a good neighbor, even to those we don’t know, can make a truly significant impact on those around you. And, perhaps not surprisingly, can also be of tremendous benefit to yourself – feeling good, with a sense of fulfillment, and knowing that you have just done something that has made the world a little bit better!
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