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Resending: The Neighbor I Thought I Already Knew | Wisdom for Your Weekend
Published 3 months ago • 6 min read
Happy Interdependence Day
July 4, 2026
Dear Reader,
Greetings from Parkwood Studios in the heat-scorched hills of West Virginia!
As I sit with our nation's 250th birthday and reminisce about the one 50 years ago, I am reminded of a beautiful experience from last summer--and what it taught me.
With that, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy holiday. Let's get into this, shall we?
Happy Interdependence Day
Wisdom Lesson 76
One afternoon late last summer, my neighbor Tom called.
"Would you mind checking in on Irv while the family is away this weekend?" Tom apologized for asking and explained that he had to go to Houston on a business trip.
I hesitated.
Not because I didn't like Irv.
Quite the opposite.
Irv and his wife, Helen, have lived across the street from Lisa and me for the twenty years we've called Parkwood Road home. They're wonderful neighbors. The kind who call whenever the power goes out because their backup generator is running.
"Come over if you need heat," Irv says in the winter. Or air conditioning in the summer. "Bring anything from your refrigerator or freezer if you need to make sure it doesn't spoil."
Over the years, my son and I have shoveled Irv's steep driveway after snowstorms. Lisa and I have shared a few meals with Irv and Helen. We've looked after one another in the quiet, ordinary ways good neighbors often do.
Still...
I wasn't eager to say yes.
Life was busy.
And Tom usually handled these things.
Besides, Irv had suffered a minor stroke the year before. He had recovered remarkably well, but he had become prone to falling. If something happened while everyone else was away, I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to do.
Tom explained that Helen, the kids, and the grandkids would be away together for a long weekend at an amusement park in Ohio.
"I can do that," I finally said.
The next afternoon, I crossed Parkwood Road and knocked on Irv's front door.
He answered wearing his familiar thick black-framed glasses and looked genuinely surprised.
His expression seemed to ask,
"Skip... what are you doing here?"
"Tom asked if I could stop by a few times this weekend," I explained. "Just to see if you needed anything."
Irv chuckled.
"Oh, I'm fine."
Then he smiled.
"That Tom is something else, isn't he?"
Without another thought, he turned slightly and extended his arm back toward his dining room. "Well, Skip... come on in and stay awhile."
Then he asked a question I never expected.
"What can I get you to drink?"
I had crossed the street expecting to take care of Irv. But within moments, Irv was taking care of me.
We spent the next hour talking.
He gave me a tour of the home he and Helen had built decades earlier. He told me stories about growing up in Northfork, West Virginia, about the early days of Woodland Hills, and about the families who helped shape our little neighborhood.
Somewhere during that conversation, something shifted. I realized I wasn't simply learning the history of our neighborhood. I was discovering the man who had been living across the street all along.
Before I left, Irv said, "Come outside. I want to show you my garden."
His back deck was filled with raised beds and large garden pots overflowing with vegetables.
He proudly pointed out tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, beans and herbs... then insisted I take home fresh green leaf lettuce and half a dozen beautiful tomatoes.
I protested, briefly. But Irv insisted.
Needless to say, I enjoyed some mighty fine BLTs over the next few days.
Over the course of that weekend, I crossed Parkwood Road five times. Each visit lasted a little longer. Each conversation wandered a little farther.
And every walk back home left me feeling fulfilled, humbled, and hopeful.
When Tom first called, I thought he was asking me to keep an eye on Irv.
Looking back, I think he was inviting me to cross the street. Not just physically ....
Relationally.
It's funny how often the best opportunities arrive disguised as ordinary requests.
A phone call.
A knock on the door.
An invitation to stay awhile.
A bag of tomatoes.
This weekend, we'll celebrate Independence Day. Like most, I'm grateful for the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. But this year I'm also celebrating something else.
Interdependence.
The quiet, beautiful reality that our lives are richer when we willingly care for one another.
I'm grateful Tom called.
I'm grateful I said yes.
But more than anything...
I'm grateful I finally got to know my neighbor.
Continue the Conversation
The Practice of Living Well with Jacquie Bowen
One of my favorite moments in every podcast episode comes right at the end. It's when I ask my guest one simple question, after they’ve revealed their Main Thing wisdom nugget:
“What closing thought or insight would you share with our audience of wisdom seekers?"
As I was writing this week's story about Irv, I found myself thinking about Dr. Jacquie Bowen's answer.
She didn't hesitate.
"Say yes to requests and opportunities that come your way."
As soon as I heard those words, I thought back to one afternoon late last summer when my neighbor Tom called.
Saying yes didn't simply change my weekend. It changed a relationship.
In Episode 147, Jacquie shares the story behind that wisdom and explains how one simple habit has shaped her career, her relationships, and the next chapter of her life. Along the way, we also explore identity, transitions, resilience and what it means to embrace the opportunities that often arrive disguised as interruptions.
▶ Continue the conversation with Dr. Jacquie Bowen by listening to Episode 147.
Click the image above to listen to Ep. 147 featuring the wisdom of Jacquie Bowen
Wise Guests Doing Cool Things
🗳️ Alison Ibarra Is Running for Fayette County Commissioner
Our friend and former guest Alison Ibarra has announced her candidacy for Fayette County Commissioner. Public service is no small calling, and it takes courage to step forward and serve your community. Alison, we're cheering you on and wishing you wisdom, courage, and grace in the months ahead!
👉 If you're new to The Main Thing, Alison's Episode 118 (Nov. 2024) is well worth a listen.
📖 Lisa Lineberg Has Published Her First Book
After nearly a decade of faithfully filling journal after journal with prayers, reflections, and conversations with God, Lisa has published her first book, Journaling with Jesus. It's been a joy to watch this project grow from a quiet personal practice into a resource that is already walking alongside others in their own spiritual journeys.
👉 If you're new to The Main Thing, Lisa's Episode 75 (Aug. 2022) is a wonderful companion to the book.
🃏 Rajesh Setty Has Launched "CALMASUTRAS"
Congratulations to longtime friend and former guest Rajesh Setty on the launch of CALMASUTRAS, a dream project nearly two years in the making. Rajesh describes it as a deck of playing cards, a picture puzzle, and a "book in a box"—all in one. It sounds exactly like something Rajesh would create.
👉 Learn more about CALMASUTRAS here.
👉 Rajesh's Episode 63 (February 2022) is a wonderful introduction to his unique way of thinking about generosity, relationships, and creating value.
Wise Word of the Week
Interdependence (noun)
Pronounced: | in(t)ərdəˈpend(ə)n(t)s |
Meaning:
The understanding that our lives are strengthened when we willingly depend on, care for, and contribute to one another.
Origin: Middle English - 1400-1450 | dependounce
Healthy neighborhoods aren't built on independence alone—they flourish through interdependence.
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My aim is to help people get a little better at life. Interviewing the wisest people I know, I distill and share their wisdom with you by way of a podcast and this companion newsletter. I invite you to subscribe and get 2 free editions per month.
Read more from Hi! I'm Skip Lineberg, a podcaster and writer.
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