My Beloved Neighbor

My beloved neighbor was in her 60's when we met her. She was a bit eccentric. I sometimes thought she said insulting things to me, but it was difficult to tell because of the oddness of her words. On the flip side of this, she was very social with us when we bumped into her, and for the most part, good to us.

One wintery night, I was very ill with a stomach bug. I came down with it mid-day. At the time, David, my husband, in order to supplement his apostolic salary as a tutor, was working 12 hour days a couple days a week in a town 1 1/2 hours away from our home. By 7pm, I was very week and shivering uncontrollably from the fever. I couldn't turn up the heat in the house any more than I already had. I thought about building a fire in the wood burning stove. I put on my shoes and coat to go out to the garage to get some wood logs, but barely made it to the outside door. But then, I saw my neighbor walking home from the library. I told her I was sick and needed help bringing logs into the house so I could build a fire to keep warm. I asked her if she would ask her husband to do this for me. My neighbor had arthritis in her hips, knees, ankles and feet, so I didn't ask her to do it for me because I knew she couldn't walk up our steps. Our steps were made from slabs of granite. They were uneven in height, some being very tall and some short. My neighbor walked across our driveway to the bottom of the steps. I thought she wanted to talk to me before she asked her husband to come over. Instead she asked me for the log carrier. I said to her, "But, you can't walk up our steps." She said, "I'll manage." I was in no shape to argue with her. I got the log carrier and gave it to her. She loaded the log carrier with four or five logs and carried them up the steps on her knees - she knelt on the bottom step, hoisted the log carrier up to the next step, then hoisted herself up until she was in the house. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Once she placed the logs next to the wood burning stove, she went back to the garage for four or five more, this time scooting up the steps on her bottom. She then built a fire in the stove, and afterwards, sat next to me and visited with me until I warmed up.

Her arthritis was painful. Sometimes she could barely walk because of the stiffness and pain. This act of kindness of hers wasn't just taking some time out of her day to help me, this act of kindness was giving me all she had that day. What great love from this odd, eccentric woman. There is treasure in everybody.

This day of my illness was amongst the miracles that led to my first pregnancy (see my previous post titled 'Stirring in the Womb'). I am convinced that my neighbor's selflessness brought graces to her which she shared with me. I was either pregnant that day or became pregnant soon after. I'm adding my neighbor to the list of people who helped bring about the miracle of my first pregnancy and the four other pregnancies that followed.

Our acts of kindness are rewarded; they bring graces for ourselves and others. We might never know in what way or to whom they are given. Certainly, my neighbor could not have known the graces she was bringing to me. All she knew was that I needed help and by helping me she was giving me some comfort from the chills, she was giving me some companionship which help me through my suffering. Neither of us knew I was pregnant or about to become pregnant.

Prayer of Saint Gertrude: Almighty Father, I offer You the precious blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those within my own home and within my family. Amen.

Dear Lord, I offer this prayer for the happy repose of the soul of my neighbor. My her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. God bless you, my friend!