The Kindness of Strangers

I recently met my neighbor, Robin, by giving her a ride to work. She was walking down the road we both live off of with her backpack on, and it was a warmer than usual spring morning. Since she was a woman, I felt comfortable stopping and asking if she wanted a lift. Turns out my husband, son, and I had waved at Robin often, because she is the neighbor who rides a scooter. We see a good number of motorcycles but rarely scooters. Hers is currently in the shop, hence her walk to work.

Robin and I chatted on the short ride, connecting quickly. She had news about a neighbor we were concerned about, Tom. While my family and I had only had short conversations in passing with Tom, he was a daily walker of his dogs. Tom always wore a bright orange safety vest on his walks, and when he would walk by our house, he would squeeze the squeaky toy he carried with him. This noise, along with seeing Tom and his dogs through our large front window, would make our dog, Bosely, go berserk. While this sometimes drove us crazy, it was part of our morning routine. So, when the squeaking stopped and Tom was nowhere to be seen, we grew concerned. Robin did not know Tom personally but knew of him. She had heard he was in the hospital with skin cancer. My stomach sunk. I was afraid we wouldn’t see him again.

Tom’s love of dogs was evident not only by his daily walks, but by how he loved all dogs.

Bosley

One summer, when our two escaped and ran away for several days, Tom joined in the hunt for them. He saw the fliers we had put up, and he would stop in the driveway on his walk and let us know of any updates. It was comforting to know that someone other than us was out there looking for our fur babies. After a week, Bosley was found, and we picked him up, shaking, from the officer who had found him. Sadly, Neka, his sister who escaped with him, never returned home.

About a month ago, I was getting ready for work one morning and noticed the house was too quiet. I yelled out for Bosley, but there was no pattering of paws. I looked in my husband’s room and saw that the door to the sunporch was open. It had not shut all the way, and Boz had pushed through it, probably after a squirrel. I panicked and ran to the front door. Standing in our drive was Tom, with Bosley sitting on our front porch, waiting for me to let him back in. I was relieved and thanked Tom profusely for standing guard.

This morning Robin and I shared a ride again. The update she gave me made me tear up. Tom had passed away. He was in Florida with his daughter, and just two days after hospice had been called in, he was gone. 

Neither Robin or I know where to send a card, or to whom. This is my tribute to Tom, who extended kindness to my family and our pups. Sometimes the people who make a difference in our daily existence are several degrees away from what we label as a friend. Tom was more or less a stranger to us, but the kindness he extended was the legacy he left, and he will be missed. 

Godspeed, Tom.