One of our neighbors passed away last week. He’d been diagnosed with cancer and had been sent home to be cared for by his family when it was discovered that his cancer was too far advanced to help.
I think it was August when he was sent home and he was given about two months to live at that time. It looks like he lasted longer than the doctors expected, but I don’t think his last months were very good.
He was an elderly man in his 80′s. Luckily he had his family constantly around him to comfort him and help care for him. I’m going to miss him, he was a good man.
We don’t have too many elderly neighbors left! When we first moved here pretty much all of our neighbors were in their 70′s or 80′s. Now they’ve either moved away to live with family, live in a retirement home or have passed away.
I guess we only have two older neighbors now.
The older lady closest to us is becoming a bit like my former stalker elderly neighbor Sofie. She calls us a few times a week to come over and help her with things around the house. Things like changing her vacuum bag for her, or checking out some strange noise she’s heard.
I feel bad for her because she has really bad arthritis in her hands. I think she just started getting some special treatments for rheumatoid arthritis from her doctor, but it will take a while to work if it’s going to help her.
It’s strange how the neighborhood is changing. I know all neighborhoods change, but I don’t think it will be as friendly once all the older folks are gone. I’ve said many times that living on our street is kind of like living in a one street small town (good and bad in that way because everyone knows your business). Now the new people moving in don’t seem to be quite as friendly.
Anyway … I don’t know if we’ll get a new neighbor in the house owned by my neighbor who died or not. One of his daughters had lived with him on a permanent basis. Perhaps she’ll just continue to live there or maybe in the spring we’ll see a for sale sign on the lawn.
Has your neighborhood changed a lot since you moved in?
It is so sad when someone you know, even if it is not a family member dies. Even if she is not even close to you, somehow strangely you will miss her presence hovering nearby.