Our jobs, our routines and the current pace of life in general is sometimes so accelerated, that in many cities that sense of community that existed before was lost, in which all the neighbors knew each other and were close friends, even supporting, in raising the children of the house next door.
But although in many places this has already been evolving or disappearing, in a small street in Newton, Massachusetts, the community is more alive than ever, because it develops the beautiful story that we will share today, in which 20 neighbors began to learn sign language, knowing that the new baby of the colony was deaf.
From the first moment that Glenda and Raphael Savitz moved to Auburndale, one of the 13 towns within the city of Newton in the state of Massachusetts, they knew it was a community like few others, in which families know and support each other.
In Babies and more The tender video of a girl trying to speak in sign language with her deaf father When they just arrived in that community while Glenda was pregnant, their neighbors came home to welcome them, some bringing them cookies and some others greeting them from the kayaks where they usually walk in the river that is close to their homes.
Many of Glenda and Raphael's new neighbors they grew up right there and now they have their own children, to whom they transmit very important values to them, such as friendship and inclusion. It is the kind of community in which they bring food to the neighbors when they get sick, and without being asked, they help the elderly to clean their entrances in the snowy season.
Some months after having joined the community, Samantha, her daughter, was born. Everyone was excited by the news of the arrival of a new member to the large family of neighbors. But A week after the baby was born, medical tests found that she was deaf.
For Glenda and Raphael, Samantha was the first person they knew with deafness, but although it naturally took them by surprise, they immediately decided to start learning sign language. What they did not imagine was that they would not be the only ones.
In Babies and more The emotional "happy birthday" in sign language of some children to the deaf concierge of their school As soon as her neighbors knew that the new girl suffered from deafness, they made a decision: everyone would learn sign language, to make her feel welcome and be able to communicate with her.
"We all have our own children and we were very excited for the arrival of the new baby"comments in an interview with the Boston Globe Jill McNeil, one of the neighbors who is also the mother of two children who grew up in that community."We were excited that a new baby would arrive. There is nothing better than that. And then we met an additional challenge. You see Sam and it's very frustrating not being able to say 'Oh, I love your pretty pink pants.' We wanted to avoid that. We didn't want them to battle anymore if there was something we could do to help".
And that was how 20 of the neighbors of little Samantha began to meet in the house of one of them, Lucia Marshall, to begin learning sign language, without asking permission or help from Samantha's parents. They simply organized, hired an instructor and began their lessons.
Now, Samantha is two years old and may not know it yet, but it has helped make this small community even more united, Working together with a beautiful cause: make her feel included and part of the family. The American sign language has become the second language spoken in the community, and she has great friends.
The tribe still exists
Definitely the story of Samantha and her big family of friends and neighbor is a very nice and worthy of sharing, especially because it reminds us of that famous phrase: "a tribe is needed to raise a child", and that is currently something that does not happen everywhere.
In Babies and more A single mother of triplets asks for help in her community, and her children earn three grandmothers! But nevertheless, the tribe is still present and very alive, but it is also up to us to keep it that way, as well as being a support in times of crisis, having a circle or network of trust helps make motherhood and parenting easier.
Photos | iStock
Via | Boston Globe
