What does January mean to you? It could be writing letters, texts or emails, thanking people for Christmas presents. Perhaps it’s a time for dressing in your “glad rags” for New Year parties, or browsing through brochures and searching the internet to book a summer holiday in the sun. You might anticipate fun in the snow or cosy evenings by the fireside. On the other hand, you may find this a depressing time of year, when your spirits plummet with the drop in temperature. Perhaps you worry about how to keep warm and well. Maybe you daren’t venture out much, or you feel trapped in your home, with attendant feelings of isolation and loneliness.
At the risk of becoming boring on the subject of breaking a wrist, I want to say that this has given me some insights into how it feels when certain simple tasks can’t be carried out unaided. Perhaps one good thing to come out of this is a deeper empathy with those who face the frustration of being less active than they were. I’m grateful to those who have been helping me in all kinds of ways, and I now have a little more understanding of the importance of such help to those who are frail, sick or disabled.
I know that lots of active people in our parishes keep an eye on elderly and housebound neighbours, but there may be someone reading this who hasn’t got around to contacting a neighbour who is struggling with poor health or age related problems. I’m not suggesting that this is due to selfishness or indifference. You may simply be a bit diffident about offering assistance, perhaps wondering whether or not your call would be welcome. The likelihood is that your neighbour would be really pleased to see you, but if ringing the doorbell feels a bit daunting, you could always pop a card through the letterbox first. Many elderly and housebound folk don’t see all that many people and would be delighted with a visit, or help with collecting prescriptions or fetching shopping. A friendship may well begin which becomes rewarding for both of you. A word of caution though – if your elderly neighbour doesn’t know you; you may need someone else to introduce you. Don’t forget all those warnings about not opening the door to strangers. Most people are genuine, but sadly there are also some unscrupulous con men out there.
For some people the month of January means New Year resolutions. If one of your resolutions is to befriend or help a neighbour, remember that Jesus said that whatever we do or others, it’s as if we did it for Jesus himself.
Wishing you God’s blessing in the coming year
Glynis Hetherington
