I’ve lived here for a year, but, until today, I only had met one neighbor — and the only reason I ever met her was because I would pass her taking her baby for a walk while I make my occasional effort to get some walking exercise myself.
So, when we found an invitation in our mailbox inviting us to a holiday gathering at a new neighbor’s just diagonally across the road, we accepted. We even took my mother along. (Actually, I wanted to go by myself for a while but I was outvoted.) The gathering was in a house that I pass each time I’m out walking. It rests at the base of the mountain, and it has a three-car garage. I’ve always wondered what it looks like inside.
Here’s where the envy comes in.
The living room, dining room, and kitchen are one big area, and the kitchen area is huge, the cabinetry distressed white. But, almost best of all, the living room is all glass-walled, open to a breathtaking view of the tree-lined mountainside. And, even better than that, the living room has cathedral skylights across which the top of the cliffs stretch in craggy granite splendor.
The young family who own it actually live in New York City and comes up here on weekends. They have fascinating jobs, a new baby, and an amazingly well-behaved toddler. Most of the people there were also weekenders. One of these weekend famiies owns a farm on the other side of the mountain, where they keep llamas and chickens and other assorted small animals. I couldn’t help feel a little envy for their lives, their casual wealth.
Oh, there were some of my year-round neighbors, too, and I made a point of going over and introducing myself. While it was a pleasant couple of hours, I resented a little that I had to spend more time “mommy-sitting” than I spent socializing.
But my satisfaction from meeting and getting to know my immediate neighbors overrides my envy. It’s going to feel good to wave to them as they drive by or if we happen to meet up on their occasional walks as well. And, who knows, maybe someday I’ll be invited to another party. If that happens, I’m going to insist on going alone.