Kumbatia San

A good neighbor is someone who helps without expecting anything in return — who looks out for your best interests, even when you don’t ask. Someone who helps you care for your children, who shows up when you need them most.

When I was younger, neighbors would shout over the wall if you weren’t listening to your parents, or let you run to their house during a thunderstorm when yours weren’t home. We’d have year-end street parties, or meet other kids at the park and end up at their houses — their mothers cooking lunch for children they’d just met.

Back then, you didn’t have to be skeptical. You knew your neighbors loved you, even if they didn’t know you deeply.

A good neighbor’s first reaction is love — not malice, not selfishness.