I got on the bus yesterday and as I looked around for a seat, I saw a beautiful. warm smiling face beckoning me to sit next to her.  As I sat down I realised she was one of the fabulous "grandmas' of the neighbourhood that I have known since we moved here. I haven't seen her for a few years. She doesn't get out so much these days. She excitedly asked after my son who she always had a soft spot for. She chatted away about how she remembers him as a baby, a toddler, a pre-schooler and finally as a first grader. "How he must have grown" she exclaims. "Is he tall like you and your husband ?"  and  "What a lovely boy he is". She beams continually as we talk about how much time has passed since we arrived here. She tells me how she has lived her whole life here. She is the childhood friend of my former landlady who I wrote about in the previous neighbourhood story . She is the friend of our friend's grandparents. She knows everyone. She has seen so many births and marriages and sadly, deaths in the past __ years that she has lived here. We agree what a wonderful area this is. That people are close here.That people help each other and take care of each other. That people care. Finally, we come to our stop and I tell her how pleased I am to see her again. She grabs my hand and with the warmest smile that seems to light up not only her face but the street itself, she says

"You know, you are part of our neighbourhood too"

I am still smiling….