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.
Good neighbors are really rare to find. I’ve just moved into a new neighborhood, and no one seems to care. It seems to me that they care only about their family and that’s it. I don’t expect to make acquaintances anywhere soon…
Ahh…that’s really sad. Cancer really sucks and takes so much lives. I wish there was a real cure for cancer. I lost my dad to cancer as well 5 years ago. He was only 52.
We’ve lived here for fourteen years and while most of the same families still live here, the kids have grown up and there is a new crop of little ones running around. I watched the elderly man down the street begin to walk slowly around with a nurse before he passed. Another man was the hub of the neighborhood, sitting in the driveway chatting with friends and people passing by. He has also passed. I am now getting ready for change in my own home as my son graduates from high school and heads for college.
Lived in the same house for 13yrs apart from a couple of houses its the same folk but its not a close neighbour hood apart from those on both sides only time we have passing words is winter as were on a real steep hill and we work together to clear the road of snow and ice afetr that its back to just the odd hello – sad really….
Yes it has. Since the house next door was bought by a guy that lets it out, we get all sorts of undesirables living there.
As far as scary words in the English language go, “cancer” is near the top of the list. The good news is that we don’t have to wait around simply hoping that cancer doesn’t affect us and our loved ones. According to scientists in the UK, effective cancer prevention starts with the food on your plate.
Our neighbors have been the same for several years. Safe and friendly. We notice petty thefts etc. with each new set of nearby residences adolescent children stage.
Sorry to hear. But keep in mind that they’re in a way better place than any of us now! 🙂
My deepest sympathies for your neighbor. As for our neighborhood yes it as changed. I’ve been living here for more than a decade and I’ve seen old people die too. Then will be surprised that I have another pregnant neighbor. Maybe it’s just like that. Times change.
Im sure that nieghbor of yours is very close to you.I’m sure he will surely miss.It’s hard to let go but that’s the way it is.May he rest in peace!
For some reason, your post reminds me of why I miss my old neighborhood. Everyone knew each other and treated each other well. It had a friendly atmosphere. I moved to one of these mcmansion housing developments a couple of years ago. Other than one neighbor, I don’t even know anybody on the street. The HOA sucks too. Friendly neighborhoods seem harder to find these days.
So sorry to hear about your neighbor. They do tend to grow on you and become part of the family when you live in a neighborhood so long. Oddly enough our neighborhood hasn’t changed a whole lot in the 9 years we’ve lived here. One directly next to us moved, but we still see her from time to time around town.
It is so sad to hear about your neighbor, also in my neighbur there use to be lots of old people, but as time is passing there is smaler and smaler number of them. I think that is normal situation what happens no matter where you are living, we just need to accept that and hope new neighburs will be goods like old ones.
Sorry to hear about your neighbor. What type of cancer was it?
I am surrounded on 4 sides by renters. Heck! I am renting this unit myself.
The difference is I have been here 3 years now and it seems like my neighbors change every couple months
I don’t think the leases are short term, I just think its because I am surrounded by rental units.
im sorry to hear about your neighbour…it’s always hard to lose someone you love or someone you just simply knows…. but the truth is, as the time passes, all the wounds fade….