A Maine Neighbor’s Request Turns into an Unforgettable Life Lesson

Neighbors. We love them, we hate them, but we all have them. I’m fortunate enough to tell the world how lucky I am to have a neighbor named Moe. Moe has been living in the house across the street for a very long time. It’s almost like the neighborhood is a lighthouse, and he’s the keeper, watching for storms and warning us all about pirates.

Moe is a bit up there in age. He loves coming outside when we’re out with our son, Bentley. He sits and chats, letting us know if a new bird has nested in his yard. When we have fires, he ensures we have enough wood and keeps an eye out for any suspicious activity. Moe is very special to us.

Recently, Moe got very sick, and we hadn’t seen him outside. The hot days brought our little family outside for picnics, gardening, and baseball games, but no Moe. One day, I was mowing the lawn and heard, “Young lady! Young lady!” I turned and saw Moe. I ran over, thrilled to see him again. Because at that point, it had been weeks. Moe is not fragile. He is a tall, strong Mainer. So it saddened me to hear about his health when he told me about some serious medical issues. But despite that, he had a simple request.

Moe has these big, beautiful wild blueberry bushes in his yard. Because of his health, he can’t collect them this year. It’s one of his favorite things to do, besides watching his huge pink rose bush bloom.

He told me about that, and let me know I could pick some if I wanted. Yesterday morning, Bentley and I walked over and were overwhelmed by the sight of endless ripe, deep blue, blueberries.

We picked until our fingers turned purple, filling our buckets. We went home, and I taught Bentley how to wash them, check for worms, and remove the stems. Bentley then excitedly volunteered to bring them to Moe.

The smile on Moe’s face was unforgettable. He was so grateful.

As we walked away from Moe’s house, Bentley looked up at me and said, “Mama, he was that happy about blueberries?”

I replied,

Yes, Bentley, but it's not about the blueberries. He was that happy because when you get older, it’s all about the simple things. When your bones get tired and your hands don’t work the same way, you get kind of sad. Moe doesn't have visitors coming every day, and the smallest thing, like picking from the blueberry bush you’ve watched grow since your kids were young, becomes a simple happiness. This teaches us to stay in the moment and be grateful for the little things, because one day, like Moe, you’ll look back and see them as the big things.