Howdy Neighbor!

Long time, no blog. I know you're all asking, "Why now?"


I've been meeting with someone (we'll call her "H") every few weeks for support as I try to become a healthier person. I would say we have a helper-helpee relationship. One specific way H supports me is by helping me formulate goals. One of the goals I set today was to write for at least 10 minutes a week. After I left the appointment, I considered how I could work writing into back into my life and decided it was time to revive the blog, because I did (and do) love my blog. So my first post back will be in honor of H.

I first met H when she was trying to help The Kid become a healthier person. I immediately liked her. Great eyes, cool glasses, funky clothes, and a laugh I loved; bright, articulate, interesting, compassionate, the very definition of supportive. And she liked The Kid!

Because H is a professional person, there are boundaries, which are good and necessary in these kinds of helper-helpee relationships, but I still wish we could be friends. Really, I feel like we are in this gray area where H is more than just a professional helper person to me yet could not appropriately be defined as a friend.

This is what I think: H is my neighbor.

And this is why I think that: When Jesus was challenged with the question "Who is my neighbor?" he responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan and then turned the initial challenge on its head by asking "Who in the story behaved as a neighbor should?"

H behaves in response to me the way a neighbor should. And, like Jesus, H turns things upside down for me so that my world can be right-side up.

So, if I greet you with a "Howdy Neighbor!" I'm not going all cowgirl on you. I'm letting you know what you are to me.