this week’s prompt:
I can’t help but think of good ol’ Mr. Rogers with this being the word this week:
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood!
A beautiful day for a neighbor!
Would you be mine?
Oh, could you be mine?
I don’t think I got the whole gist of that song as a kid. It was sing-songy and sweet, but I don’t think I really understood the gravity of the words.
Oh, won’t you be my neighbor?
I have a hard time letting people be my neighbor.
I love being other peoples neighbor– taking care of people, helping people, loving people. But I don’t let others reciprocate it back to me.
I’m an introvert who most of the time prefers, needs alone time to be the best version of herself. Being with too many people for too long stretches me thinly.
I battle depression on the daily. It’s a lot easier to tell people I’m fine and things are going well, instead of telling them the whole truth and burdening them with my darkness. I had a friend ask me how I was this week and was actually honest (I’m on the struggle bus right now, y’all) and she was able to help me. Funny how that works.
I’m an enneagram 2 (The Helper) who looks to the needs of her neighbors on the regular but doesn’t trust her neighbors enough to let them take care of her needs when they arise. I don’t know how to figure out what I need when I focus on everyone’s needs around me, so mine go unmet.
(sidebar: I listened to a podcast today about 2s that blew my mind with knowledge, especially on this topic. If you are or know a 2 on the Enneagram, go listen here.)
I love being a neighbor to people. I just need to learn how to let others be a neighbor to me.
Oh, won’t you be my neighbor? (Really, though).
because I couldn’t help it. #kickinitoldschool
Jordan, this really resonates with me (and I am praying for you, dear heart, to move off the struggle bus and find wings!).
When I could I liked doing stuff for people; but I wasn’t really thrilled with accepting help. That might be traced back to a bad childhood, when anything good always came with string – bad ones – attached.
But being sick, I’m doing a bit better. Hard to turn down an offer by a couple of farmworkers in their truck, when they’re passing by and see you collapsed in the yard,and unable to make it back to the house. Humbling, that.
#1 at FMF this week.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/08/your-dying-spouse-357-fine-sense-of.html
I love everything about this! I’m an introvert and an Enneagram 1 with a 2 wing. It can be so hard to be honest about our daily struggles because it does feel like such a burden to others. (Especially when their issues seem much more earth shattering than mine.) It can be so hard to trust others with your real, unfine stuff when you’ve been let down before. Thanks so the important reminder to let others be our neighbors too.
Bless you, Jordan, right where you are with your introverted self and your Enneagram 2. I really don’t know what that means. I have a friend trying to explain Enneagrams to me, and I feel dumb because I just don’t get it. I’m glad you have a tool to help you understand yourself though.
Thank you for reminding me of Mr. Rogers. I loved him so much as a child. Memories…sweet memories!
I pray you know Holy Spirit and are filled with Him as the best counselor and comforter – way beyond anyone we could ever imagine – to help us through the dark places of the soul. I pray now for you to be refreshed in your spirit with cool Living Waters of Jesus.
Lisa
Yes I’ll be your neighbor! I ended my post with those exact same words. I’m over in the 51 spot this week.