The Block Party

Every year, during the Labor Day long weekend, my hometown neighborhood hosts its annual block party. We close our street to passing cars, giving the younger kids a few hours of unobstructed freedom to ride their bikes and throw their frisbees. They weave up and down the road, zooming past the adults that sit on lawn chairs. Occasionally, a new neighbor – or an older student visiting from college – is called over and pleasantly bombarded with questions about what they’ve been up to.

Periodically, the young kids will drop off their bikes or scooters on their driveways and run to the center of the road in the middle of our block. They gather around a long stretch of four or five tables, curiously scanning their options before picking up a paper plate. Starting from one end, they make their way down, hungrily piling their plates with everything from layered dips to pasta salads.

It goes without saying that the past few years have presented unprecedented, formidable challenges for much of the world. From the coronavirus pandemic to global conflicts, most of us know someone – or are someone – who has been impacted and tried by these events. Most recently, worries about a potential recession in the United States and internationally has generated further distress for many.

In times of stress, sharing is often the last thing on our minds. Understandably, we must take care of ourselves and those closest to us first. Sometimes, ensuring that we are okay is the best way to help those around us. However, while the impact of sharing is always incredibly powerful, its effect is even more forceful during times of widespread stress and struggle. With many of us dealing with the same global issues and others coping with personal obstacles, acts of kindness hold greater weight.