Night before last, I got to witness the power of kindness in our tiny neighborhood. We live at the end of South Signal, next to the trolley yard. An elderly woman has lived down the street in her old house for 60+ years, and shes taken the trolley every day for many, many years, to different parts of Ojai. She always carried two big cloth bags, filled with stuff, and her home closely resembles Grey Gables. The trolley driver noticed he hadnt seen her in 3 days, which was unusual, so he popped into the sheriffs office to mention that shed been missing. Upon entry, they discovered that she had, indeed, been dead a couple of days inside the house. She was 86. While her death is sad in itself, what I couldnt help but notice was the genuine concern of every resident on this little cul-de-sac, for her well being, her cats, her family, everything about the life she left behind. Ours is not a typically family-looking neighborhood, like the one behind Vons or by Topa Topa school. But the gaggle of people in the street, sending blessings to her as she ascends to the unknown, was a mighty little force of love, and I felt so lucky to be a part of it. To make matters even nicer, her daughter arrived yesterday, and was so touched by everyones kindness, shes giving all of the neighbors a thank you party on Saturday. I feel so lucky to live in a small town where the trolley driver not only notices the absence of a regular passenger, but knows who she is and cares enough to send someone to look for her. And to be a part of a surprisingly fiercely loving little group of neighbors who are such incredibly lovely people.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 23:00:11 +0000
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