Another Day on the Coaster…
By: Martha Zeeman
Tags: Good Neighbors, Find The Happy, Co Vid

Another Day on the Coaster…

The ticket price remains the same, but somehow it feels like the price is going up. Yesterday the coaster was relatively flat with a few small ups and only one big down portion. So there is the happy.

Let’s start with the ups from yesterday and I’ll finish with ups from today, sandwiched by the downs. In case you haven’t figured out by now, I’m writing this for myself so I really don’t need your permission/approval but I’m the kind of person that tries to please people, and I like to end on a positive.

As I’ve mentioned, my friend Joe is still sick but his symptoms are remaining the same and not worsening. A group of the golf guys decided to do a drive-by through his U shaped driveway to cheer him up. My husband decided to put our huge teddy bear through the sunroof so we were given the first spot in the “parade.” Joe was able to come out and see the parade and give us all a smile, which I think we all needed. Actually, I think the parade was as much for the golf guys as it was for Joe. Regardless, it was the uphill portion of the ride. So there is the happy.

Yesterday my husband Greg cooked a brisket and we had enough to share. We shared some with our neighbor Brook and with our friends Joe and Missy. We delivered those meals and left them at their doors. We also shared with Greg’s sister and her family. They live about 25 minutes away and they thought about driving up with the family and their two dogs and maybe eating in our driveway. Unfortunately, we decided it was best to have them just come up and “take it to go.” My nephew and brother-in-law drove up to get the food. They stood at the end of our driveway and we talked to them from the door. As they started to leave my heart broke a little because all I could think of was our “group hug”. You see we each have three kids and we are very close. We lived a few blocks from each other in the city and even now we see each other regularly. When we leave each other we always do a “group hug”- all ten of us. It’s our weird family thing and as much as the kids roll their eyes, we still do it. No “group hugs” for the foreseeable future.

Today the sun was out and we spent a lot of time outdoors. A long walk with the dogs and another long walk to the lake. I don’t like crossing the street or stepping aside when others get close, but I do like that everyone is waving and saying hello. I also spent a good chunk of time outside “chucking” the ball for the dogs. While I was out there my neighbors came to the end of our driveway with a package of homemade treats. I had only recently met the wife, but I chatted with both of them for awhile. I learned a lot about them and that we have many things in common. I look forward to having them over for dinner in our backyard -hopefully this summer. They left my driveway and walked to my neighbor Brook’s house to deliver her the same treats and they even picked up her Sunday paper from the end of the driveway. They then continued on to five more houses. I watched them go to each house from my driveway. They never went in anyone’s house but had conversation with each household from a safe distance. I’m sure they are very kind people and would normally be nice neighbors, but now they are being exceptional neighbors. They are making an effort to talk to all their neighbors. Now is the time we need to be good neighbors and they are doing their part. So there is the happy.

More to come tomorrow as I continue to try to find the happy.