Hello Mi Neighbour | Let us keep our neighbour's business
Published:Tuesday | June 7, 2016 | 12:00 AM
Hello, mi neighbour! The concept of neighbourliness or brotherhood mandates us to watch or even wash (should it come to that) the backs of one another. Even though this message has been around for thousands of years, the great majority still have not understood or embraced it.
Hence the ugliness embedded in human interactions. To accept one another as neighbours takes a willingness to 'do for others the good that we would want them to do unto us.' Imagine a world where this is fashionable! Of course, this might not be a reality until the hereafter, but the potential for humanity to live as neighbours one to another in this world is very much alive. The fact that several persons have been practising this, means that there's hope for all. Some of the happiest people on this planet are those who treat others as they would want
others to treat them. Don't you want to be happy?
The journey of life is punctuated with twists and turns and all of us need someone to twist and turn with us at those junctures. Since no one is immune to misfortunes, absolutely no one should refuse to offer assistance to another and/or be too timid or proud to request help whenever it matters.
About two weeks ago a beggarly neighbour called me in search of a little help for her children. In the same breath, she cautioned that despite her circumstances she was a proud woman who did not want anyone to know her business. Very funny! And yes, we do respect people's wishes and privacy in this work.
Another neighbour, Althea, was not afraid or ashamed to bare her soul in her quest for assistance to send her children to school. Without hesitation, she got assistance from a neighbour with a caring ear. Seems as if openness and humility open doors for us much quicker, eenh?
And please, don't misunderstanding me, there's no need to spill all of your private affairs as you seek assistance from others. Just be humble enough to say enough. And for heaven's sake, if a neighbour shares a confidential matter with you in the hope of finding relief, please keep it confidential. Even if you meet his/her need, the situation could be worsened by blabbering about it.
So here's the conclusion: I am your neighbour and you are mine. Let's not fight against each other. Instead, let's fight together against those things which seek to rob us of our expressions of neighbourliness, and never forget to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
The 'opportunities for helping' list below beckons. Have a great day!
Thanks for helping
1 Korren, USA, for offering financial assistance to Natalie, single mother, St Andrew.
2 Mrs Neil, St Andrew, for offering clothing to a needy neighbour.
3 Lucille, St Andrew, for offering a TV to a neighbour.
4 Thanks to Annmarie, Dwayne and Mr Palmer who assisted me when my car malfunctioned along Red Hills Road at about 11 p.m. last Saturday.
5 Carron, for offering to assist Ruby, Trelawny, with chicken rearing.
6 Neighbour, St Andrew, for offering food items.
Opportunities for helping
1 Shaneke, Hanover, grand-mother is blind and diabetic. Asking neighbours for a second-hand refrigerator to store insulin.
2 Neighbour, asking for adult diapers for the elderly - medium.
3 Janice, Clarendon, asking neighbours for a bed and a TV.
4 Neighbour, asking for financial assistance to take care of eye - amount needed $96,000.
5 Neighbour, asking neighbours for clothing and food.
6 Neighbour, Manchester, asking neighbours for a door and windows.
7 Single mother, St Andrew, thieves broke into her house and removed bed, television, dining table, refrigerator, etc. Asking for neighbours assistance to restore.
- To help, please call 334-8165, 884-3866 or deposit to acct # 351 044 276 NCB. (Bank routing #: JNCBJMKX) or send donations to Hello Neighbour, 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; email