Neighbor is nearest
What is a neighbor
Neighbor is a very unique relation. This is not blood relation. This is also not created by marriage. This is also not a relation like friend that you may choose. Location is the only deciding factor. Neighbor is one nearest located to your residence or business place. He may be your next door neighbor, neighboring shop keeper. Also we have neighboring countries, states. It is aptly stated that neighbors cannot be changed. You can change neighbor only by shifting your location. Shifting location is often not very convenient. Hence neighbors are almost permanent. If you have good neighbors, you are very lucky. Neighborly relations are significant between nations as well as individuals. Here we are discussing individual relations.
Neighbor is most significant
You may avoid relatives and friends but not neighbors particularly next door neighbor. When in difficulty and condition of sickness in family, neighbor is most helpful. The neighbor is with you at time of crisis whereas other relatives will not even know. It is a prudent policy to give utmost importance to neighbors and adjust with them. A neighbor is not any way less important than spouse. A neighbor is nearest next only to your spouse and children. It will be no exaggeration to say that neighbor is extended family.
A story comes to mind. Once a king wanted to know: who is the most important person, What is the most important time and what is the most important job. A hermit answered that the person nearest to you is most important, the most important time is 'now', the most important job is what is in hand. Moral of the story is that most important person is one nearest to you, which is obviously neighbor.
Neighbor is your strength or weakness
Good neighborly relation gives you strength in hours of crisis. Also for various purposes, you need active cooperation of neighbors. When your child gets employment, you get a passport or any similar matter, your neighbor only can be a witness. If he is not in good terms with you, he may give a very negative opinion about you. If you need be hospitalized, your neighbor will be first to accompany you to the hospital. He may even send intimation to your distant family members and relatives. Thus neighbor is First Aid. You also owe a duty to help your neighbors. You are also a neighbor to your neighbors.
A good neighbor is often more than relative. One individual had a marriageable daughter. He wanted elders' active help in finding out suitable groom. His own father and mother were too old and sickly. His next door neighbor was an old but energetic and healthy man. So, he went with his elderly neighbor to many places to select suitable groom. Ultimately, he got most suitable groom for his daughter with active cooperation of his elderly neighbor. The elderly neighbor would also be helpful when his parents needed hospitalization and care.
Avoid needless quarrel with neighbors
There will always be some conflicts and cause of quarrel with others. As your family particularly children are nearest to neighbors, they may also some times quarrel. Let your children settle the issue among themselves. Elders should not quarrel among themselves because of children. They forget all quarrel very soon unlike elders. It is best neither to be very intimate nor very distant from neighbors. You should be at least on speaking terms with neighbors and be of help when they need. The Bible also teaches: 'Love thy neighbor'. Incidentally, loving neighbor has a financial implication also. If your neighbor gives gift to his wife, income from that gift will be added to your neighbor's income. But if you give her gift, that will not be added to his income. So, love your neighbor's wife and give her gift. Similarly, your neighbor may give gift to your wife out of love. Love need not be of course illicit or of sexual orientation.
A well known builder in Agra got a taste of what bad neighborly relation may mean. While he was in his shop on Sunday,which is a holiday in his area, his neighbors complained that he was carrying out immoral activities in his shop. The police caught him along with the call girl and filed an F.I.R. against him. He is suffering not because of immoral activities so much as bad neighborly relations.
Sometimes your neighbors quarrel or there are some disputes among them. It is prudent not to interfere or take partisan stand. You masy intervene only of required and also if the parties to the conflict equally respect your intervention. Then also, if they do not agree to your views, you need not feel bad. Just leave that as if you were not concerned. The relation with neighbors is as tricky for you as is for nations to tackle their international affairs.
It is necessary to respect privacy of your neighbors. Unless required, you should not take any interest or intervene in their personal family mattes. Also, you should not normally seek others' intervention in your own personal family matters.
Conclusion
It goes without saying that relation with neighbors should be cordial and based on mutual respect. These should be niether too close nor too remote.
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