The concept of taking a village to raise a child is hardly new. But the thing is there's a circle of life. The village that raises the child also needs to care for the child when she or he reaches old age. I talk a whole lot about my neighbour Margaret. She does rely on me a lot but she does have others in her village. The young bloke who lives in the house on the other side, pops up every morning to take her bag of rubbish out to the bin. His mum can be relied on to wash sheets. The apprentice at the hairdresser is frequently sent up the chemist to collect a prescription while Margaret's hair is setting. It's a true community effort. When Margaret was in hospital most recently there were three questions that came up every day. She wanted to know how my dogs were. She wanted to know how her birds were and she wanted to know if the flowers were blooming. A few weeks back, a neighbour had extra seedlings so planted them just outside the window where Margaret sits. When she fell they were growing well but had yet to bloom. In the last couple of days they have come alive. Margaret is delighted. It's the little things.
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