Lately, I’ve been thinking about how much we all carry.
My best friend is Iranian, and I’ve watched him hold the weight of this unjust war. I’ve recently gone through heartbreak. My dad and I haven’t spoken in a long time.
I know I can’t be the only one.
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If you look around your apartment building, your block, in your group chats, or at your workplace, everyone is carrying something. Big or small, visible or not.
Underneath it all, I imagine there’s a simple truth: most of us are looking for similar things. A quiet need to be seen, heard, and connected to other people in a real way. To feel steady in a constantly moving world.
I grew up watching Mister Rogers, and I keep coming back to something he once said that stuck with me; your neighbor is anyone you happen to be with, at any moment in your life.
And the hardest kind of love is often the kind we have to give ourselves first.
Because that’s where it starts. If we can find even a little bit of that steadiness in ourselves, it becomes a lot easier to offer it to someone else.
That’s what Neighbor Day is about.
On May 2, people across Seattle will take small steps to connect with people around them. Not in big, complicated ways, either. Just simple, human moments. Saying hello. Learning a name. Offering to help someone out. Sharing a meal. Checking in.
Yes, there is certainly the option for bigger things as well like block parties, potlucks, neighborhood cleanups, and P-Patch Garden gatherings — and those are great! But they aren’t necessarily the heart of Neighbor Day.
The heart is right where you are.
Neighbor Day is in the hallway of your building. On your sidewalk. Your front step.
And this year, there’s one really easy way to start that I’m excited about: your local fire station.
For those of us in Capitol Hill, that means Seattle Fire Station #25.
So, if you’re not sure where to begin on May 2, start there. Stop by. Say hi. Stay a few minutes. Introduce yourself to the people inside and the other neighbors passing through.
Because right now, connection matters more than ever. It doesn’t start somewhere far away.
It starts right next door. It starts with you.
You can learn even more at www.seattle.gov/neighbor-day
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