What does it mean to be a good neighbor? In a literal sense, it could mean checking in on a person who lives near you. You might offer to bring them some soup if they are feeling poorly, or you might mow their lawn if they are not able. In a community sense, it could mean that you help at a school bake sale or join a local organization like City of Refuge, CoMo Preservation or Room at the Inn CoMo. On a bigger scale, you can be a good neighbor by voting, practicing environmental stewardship, using good manners online (and in person) or sharing a talent or skill with the world. The library has a wide range of books to inspire you to be the best neighbor you can be.
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General put out an advisory on the healing effects of social connection and connectivity, saying, “Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling — it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.” The following books offer helpful advice for increasing social connectivity and decreasing loneliness. Being a good neighbor can actually save your life!
“How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community” by Mia Birdsong “Built to Belong: Discovering the Power of Community Over Competition” by Natalie Frank,
and “With a Little Help From Our Friends: Creating Community as We Grow Older” by Beth Baker are all books that give a great overview of the benefits of working to create community for yourself and those you surround yourself with.
For an example of creative, benevolent thinking read Gina Schaefer’s “Recovery Hardware.” “Determined to bring her neglected neighborhood back to life, Gena Schaefer opened her first hardware store near Whitman-Walker’s addiction services program. What began as an effort to help her community recover evolved into a safe space for countless people in recovery to rebuild their lives.” The book shows how second chances can restore people’s lives and benefit the community, in general. Can you think of any local businesses that are helpful to our community? Patronizing those businesses is a sure way to help.
I have included a couple of examples of historically bad neighbor behavior, for comparison. In “Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War” by Nathaniel 
Philbrick, initially the two groups — the Wampanoags, led by the chief Massasoit, and the Pilgrims, led by Miles Standish — maintained a fragile working relationship. But within decades King Philip’s War nearly wiped out English colonists and natives alike, altering the colonies and the country that would grow from them. Relations between the native people and the immigrants suffered many tragedies from the beginning.
Another cautionary tale is “The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege” by Marilynne K. Roach. The Puritans led a treacherous existence. They endured disease, massacres from Native Americans, raids by the French and the threat of eternal damnation, promised by their religion, should they not obey strict religious and societal rules. Their fear would lead them to turn on their neighbors in a frightening and vicious way.
Almost 40 years before the COVID pandemic hit the U.S., another epidemic was just ramping up. People were afraid of the virus, not being sure,
at first, how it spread. Many sick and dying people suffered alone. Making matters worse, the gay community was hit the hardest, further ostracizing gay men in their communities. In many ways, this is an example of how NOT to be a good neighbor but some kind souls stepped in where many neighbors, nurses, politicians and family members would not. These are their stories of selflessness:
“All the Young Men: a Memoir of Love, AIDS, and Chosen Family in the American South” by Ruth Coker Burks and “It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic” by Jack Lowery.
Tragedy can sometimes bring out the best in a community. “In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire in London, a group of local women gathered together to cook fresh food for their families and neighbors. Over the chatter and aromas of the kitchen they discovered the power of
cooking and eating together to create connections, restore hope and normalcy, and provide a sense of home. This was the start of the Hubb Community Kitchen.” With “Together: Our Community Cookbook,” the women created a charity cookbook to further their mission of transforming lives with good food and togetherness.
Sharing food is an age-old way to show love to your friends, family and neighbors. Bringing a dish to someone who is in pain, overwhelmed or otherwise in need, tangibly shows you care while also helping to nourish your friends (and friendships). “Extra Helping: Recipes for Caring, Connecting & Building Community One Dish at a Time” by Janet Reich Elsbach, is a recipe book aimed at this goal.
An excellent way to be a good neighbor is through gardening. You can be part of a community garden and/or grow food and flowers to share with neighbors and friends. Growing a 
garden can be beneficial for your own health and for the environmental health of your neighborhood. Here is a book to get you started: “Grow Now: How We Can Save Our Health, Communities, and Planet-one Garden at a Time” by Emily Murphy.
Finally, a book you will be lucky to get your hands on (it’s popular!) is “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. In this book, Kimmerer states the case for a community that helps each other. “This ethic of reciprocity, she argues, shows us that true wealth arises from relationships, not self-sufficiency, and encourages us to reimagine our values in a way that nurtures both people and the planet.”
Hopefully, some of these books will inspire you to be a good neighbor in ways you hadn’t thought of before. We can all reap the benefits! Visit the second floor “Good Neighbors” book display at the Columbia branch, through December 15, or find these books on the shelves at the Daniel Boone Regional Library.
