Summer is here and people are out and about enjoying the sun. What better time to get to know the neighbors next door, down the street and in the next neighborhood over.
While you don't need to invite each other over for family cookouts or celebrate holidays with one another, (though the annual city sanctioned neighbhorhood block parties happen throughout August) little acts of kindness go a long way to mending those neighborly fences. Here's what you can do: Drop off your neighbors' mail when you get theirs by mistake; remind them when they've left their coffee mug on top of their car as they drive off in the morning or when their garage door is left open later than usual at night; offer to help when you see them struggling with some heavy lifting; share crops from your garden; pick up your neighbors' trash barrels if they won't be home until much later; pick up trash you find while walking down the street; respect your neighbors' need for quiet at night by turning down the volume on your TV or stereo; help protect the kids who may get a little too excited chasing after that ball to notice an oncoming vehicle; or intervene when you see them doing something dangerous or talking to someone they shouldn't be talking to; call the police when you see unscrupulous characters near your neighbors' home or car; wish them a good day or a good night; smell their roses and let them know how much you enjoy them.
Making these small, neighborly gestures can leave big, lasting impressions. And who knows? They may be the nicest people you'll ever meet.[[In-content Ad]]
