Photoessay #971 - Neighborly

My parent's neighborhood in Rockford. This development of 'cottages', where you live independently, lies 'across the street' from the main facility.

A few thank yous from the past week to accompany this neighborly (if snowy) image

To the Porters - for their years of friendship and support. How many times did we call on them for help?

To Stern and Mary - For taking my mother to services with them every Friday night. My mother loved that. I know that every conversation we have about this ends up with the two of you saying that they got so much out of it. But it's a huge piece of your life to include an elderly lady every single week

To the neighbors, Helen, Miriam and Elizanne for continuing to be neighborly as time goes by. For helping to arrange things, for picking up mail, for visiting and calling, for feeding me after my mom died. For being on call for whatever was needed.

To Chaplain Brian - For being there to talk to, for caring deeply for the Wesley Willow residents, giving care and solace to my mom, for officiating at the memorial even with your concerns about conducting a Jewish service. Actually, the more we worked with it, the more scouting oriented it became

To Dr. Rogers - for giving my mom comprehensive, caring and competent medical care. I know that she had so many ties with your own mother (neighbors, friends, fell the same weekend, etc) and you gave your best care to both. A warm heart.

For the nursing staffs at Wesley Willows Medicare Unit and Rockford Memorial hospital for doing your jobs compassionately. Special thanks to Leeeta (no, it's not misspelled) who was with us when my mother passed.

To the rabbis...in Rockford for helping as you could and in Lafayette for giving your time to my sister to design and get the programs ready for the service on short notice

For the hundred or so people who came to the memorial this last Thursday afternoon. Thanks for demonstrating how important Claire was to her community. You could count on Claire. Especially the contingents from River Bluff and the Girl Scouts

To my cousin Mary Ann - The brains of the operation. You and my mom were so close, almost closer than a daughter. Mary Ann came as soon as she could and pitched to help in so many ways

To my siblings - Somehow we got through it even if between the three of us, we only had one brain

To the entire Wesley Willows community for supporting my mom and helping to facilitate the true warm neighborhood feeling. I had millions of questions and always there was someone to help