She is a beautiful, kind-eyed woman who lives a block from me. Born in Bombay, she brings me a steaming bowl of yellow bean soup when I fall ill and waters my plants when we are away. With her compassionate heart, she is more of a neighbor to me than I could ever be to her. I sometimes feel I receive far more than I give.
To me, her life reflects a quiet grace I deeply admire. She has an unshakeable faith in God; a career she has grown into over the years; a loving husband who celebrates her birthday and remembers every anniversary. She has raised two sons, now men with professions and passions of their own, and has a young grandson whose laughter fills her with joy.
I do so little for her, except offer my time and ears during long walks around our neighborhood. On these walks, she shares fragments of her world—her small, happy moments and her private, quiet woes. I listen, and thank the Lord for this friend and neighbor He has placed in my life. “…But there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother (sister). (Proverbs 18: 24, NSAB)