The value of a good neighbor

By Brianna Smith

I was in the middle of making dinner the other night when I realized I was missing a key ingredient. I had the stove on, vegetables were sitting on the cutting board, and now my evening had come to a screeching halt.

Luckily for me, I have a good neighbor.

I hopped on our Honda Pioneer with the dog and made the quick trip across the creek and through the fields to my mom’s kitchen. A few minutes later, I was back home with my missing ingredient and, as an added bonus, some freshly baked brownies. Thanks, Mom!

Not everybody is fortunate enough to live that close to family, but it reminded me how valuable good neighbors really are. Looking back, I’ve been blessed with plenty of them through the years.

When I lived in Wooster, some of my neighbors were coworkers who quickly became friends. They loved to cook, grill, and experiment with new recipes, and occasionally, I was lucky enough to get invited over for dinner.… Continue reading