Internet users were touched by the neighborly love between one man and the elderly person who lives next to him.
Bob Stadick, 48, from Chicago, Illinois, took to Reddit to share the sweet gesture made by his friend Nick. In the photo he posted, the fence is seen with a dip in one section so that he could “still talk to his elderly neighbor.”
“I grew up on the block where this photo was taken,” Stadick told Newsweek. The stay-at-home dad explained that he grew up four houses down from Ms. Leigh who was “always sweet to me and talked with my mother at no end.”
Years later, one of his closest buddies ended up buying the house beside Ms. Leigh and formed a friendly relationship with her.
“I see Ms. Leigh and we start talking like she did with my mother all those years ago,” he explained. “At this time the fence that separated them was a short chain link style. Very old but easily accessible to neighbors.
“Ms. Leigh would bring the kids popsicles as they played. She would also have special bags of candy put aside during Halloween for our kids. Forward to about a month ago. Nick decided he needed to put up a larger fence.
“The gate on the old one was broken and he had just got a puppy. When I walked in and saw the lowered section I was confused. Then I asked him if it was for Ms. Leigh and he said it was. The happiness I felt was amazing.”
He continued: “He started telling me about a shelf that he wants construct so they could put drinks down while talking. A few weeks later I took that picture and posted it on Reddit.”
Nick bought the house three years ago in Chicago, where the average house price was $299,000, according to Chicago Business.
In 2021, Next Door released the results of a survey to reveal that an increasing number of adults in the U.S. think that good relationships with neighbors are important. Fifty-eight percent have a renewed appreciation of their neighborhood since the pandemic, the study said.
Reddit users were touched by the photo and the post received over 10,000 upvotes. People took to the comments section of Stadick’s post to share their thoughts.
“Your friend is a real one! Just imagine all the conversations and stories that will be shared through that fence. Their kids will have their own storyteller and learn to respect their elders! What a wonderful way to appreciate good neighbors,” said u/EllaRae4.
Meanwhile, u/Pinklady777 shared: “My friend did this except the whole fence is full height but one section is hinged and folds open in half for neighbor communications.”
“That is very thoughtful indeed,” u/3rachahahaha44 wrote. “Should put a bench on either side,” u/NefariousnessOk8965 suggested.
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