I've been living in the same house for over 20 years now. I mean it's not exactly the same house, because I have a need to move walls around and change their colors periodically, but it is in the same place, on the same street, with many of the same neighbors who greeted us when we first arrived, as a young couple with one baby. Over the years, we have come to rely on those neighbors to pick up a package left on a porch, capture an escaping dog, retrieve a ball that came over the fence, tell us we left the light on in the car, and keep an eye on things while we are away. Our kids have played at each other's houses, ridden bikes up and down the street together, carpooled, and babysat each other. Someone will always come to your rescue when you need one more ingredient for a cake! We have become friends. So even though we live in a huge city, we feel safe because we know we have people looking out for us. When shopping for a home, we look at the pretty tile, a fabulous stove, or the closet space, but often a huge value comes from something we can't readily see: The community we find on our new street or in our new building. I love the moments when I'm helping someone buy a house and neighbors come out to tell us why they love living there, and joyfully welcome the new owners. When we think about where we live, we often think beyond the experience contained within the walls of our home. We can change the tile or paint the walls, but there's no replacement for great community, and I am grateful for mine.
