Hello friends!

I hope this blog finds you all safe and warm. Cuddled in blankets. Holding hot cups of coffee. Well.

This morning, I experienced a fantastically simple way to neighbor in the midst of a pandemic and frigid, snowy weather. It’s called: The Neighboring Snowball Effect.

Not two hours ago, I was sitting outside with my house mate and another friend. Sitting far apart, in lawn chairs, in the snow, holding cups of coffee, listening to music, chatting, in the 22 degrees Fahrenheit weather (which is balmy compared to most places, I know, and also balmy compared to how it’s been the last few days here in Wichita). But, you know, this is how friends hang out these days, and I’m thankful for it. As we were sitting and chatting, all of a sudden, my peripheral vision triggered synapses in my brain - something was emerging from hyperspace, and now flying rapidly through the air, to my left. I turned just in time to see the snowball sail over the heads of my friends and I and land with a satisfying “POOOOF” in the snow bank next to us. Chuckling, my neighbor to the north peers over the top of his privacy fence, as he surveys the scene in our backyard and witnesses our brief moments of befuddlement. Beautiful. Well done, neighbor. I see you, and I’m laughing with you. My friends and I quickly counter with our joking offers to a snowball fight, but my neighbor laughs again and politely declines. “I just thought I’d say hello, and I figured not hitting you with the snowball would be good!” More laughter. 30 seconds. That’s all it was. We talked about the gorgeous sunlight that was basking us all in warmth and told him to have a good one. It was so perfect, so snowy and perfect.

I just moved in to my new home, so I’m in a period of neighboring transition, and hilariously, I had not yet met this neighbor. Though, I’m about to! I’m about to run over with my plate of brownies and a half of a notecard that contains my name and phone number. And I’m so excited to reference the throw that started The Snowball Effect, to see how our relationship snowballs from here.

All in all, I’m glad neighboring is as simple as throwing a snowball.

Peace to you all, friends.

kristopher