Page 3 - Summer 2019 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine - Online Magazine

a

letter

One Wednesday morning back in April, I was driving my 7 grader and her friends from
th
to school. The stories for this edition were swirling through my mind. My daughter
was holding a cheesecake we had baked together. It would be delivered to the the
Hospice of Lubbock bake sale after I dropped them off. A short conversation
ensued among the girls about meeting to bake cheesecakes for their respective
Easter dinners. Our three-year-old was singing along to a VeggieTales song on publisher
her DVD. As I pondered what to say in this issue’s editorial, I was caught up in the
message from Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber:

He has a shoe, and I have a pot,
But when we look deeper, there’s more
that we’ve got.
God made us special, and now I can see
If you’re special to Him, then you’re special
to me.

If you see someone who’s hurt or in need,
Maybe it’s time to perform a good deed.
And when you’ve finished, you’ll find that
it’s true-
When you make them feel better, you’ll
feel better too.
Love your neighbor.
The lyrics suddenly seemed eloquent as the
honorees for this issue paraded through my
thoughts. I knew months ago the Summer
edition would have something to do with
knowing your neighbor. We asked several
people to write with this theme in mind
and gained valuable insight as people wrote about relationships that varied from city blocks to churches to
senior living communities.
Lubbock is an amazing community because of the people, and the following stories illustrate why. Brad and
I are blessed to live on a block that is known for its neighborliness. It is generationally diverse, with many of
the homes still inhabited by the ones who built them in the 60’s and a younger generation slowly moving in.
We take advantage of every opportunity to connect with each other - an Easter Egg Hunt and door-to-door
Christmas caroling. But summer is my favorite. Our street is blocked off for an entire evening, and everyone
comes together for a block party. The big potluck picnic is a glorious celebration as the seniors reminisce about
block parties of decades past, younger adults interact and children play, all while getting to know (and love)
each other better.

Summer also makes it easier for our girls to learn the importance of staying connected. Our three-year-old
accompanies me on walks with our elderly neighbors. Our active nine-year-old rides bikes with friends of all
ages, and our 11- and 12-year-olds are the first to think of baking brownies if someone new moves in.
Hopefully, the stories in this issue will encourage you to reach out to your neighbors, whether they live on your
block, work alongside you, or attend classes, meetings or church with you. A community is stronger when its
residents know and trust each other. Loving your neighbors is a worthy endeavor.

One more thing - if you know a WWII veteran, consider writing his or her story for our upcoming Fall edition.
Or maybe you know a couple with a great love story you could share for our Winter edition. Every story we
share brings us all closer together.
Erin Agee

{ Thank you to those who have written in this edition, for sharing your knowledge {

and stories and helping to Link us. And thank you to the advertisers who make
this magazine a reality. Without all of you this would not be possible.
Lubbock Senior Link 3