Yesterday morning I woke up to a few inches of snow on the ground. This was the first snow of winter and everything was brighter like it always is with fresh snow. The crisp air was great and I was in a good mood as I walked out to my car to leave for work.
On the short walk across the street I saw a father and daughter out playing in the snow. They had built a snowman, making the best of rare snowman making snow in Colorado. This vision made my day even better. It was a simple reminder that I live in a place of not only cars, but people. There is life in every house around us and sometimes we get to see little glimpses of the people there.
I thought of how I have lived here for a couple of years and barely know my neighbors. Most of my interactions with the people who live near me have been either around yard sales or when one or more of us spends time in our driveways repairing our cars. It gives me a pleasant feeling when, on a warm summer day, a few of us are out in front of our garages doing maintenance.
As I was about to pull out, my neighbor, who I have never conversated with, walked by on his daily morning stroll. Encouraged by the snowman, I stopped him and we chatted for a little while about the neighborhood and neighborly relations. It was a wonderful connection to make at the beginning of my day.
What do you do to make more and better connections with the people around you?
Is knowing the people around you important to your life?