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I live in a concrete tower. I grew up in a house where you could talk to your neighbors over the fence as you worked in the yard or happened to see each other. Now, I barely know many of my neighbors, and sometimes don't see certain neighbors for months and months at a time. Only in passing, in the lobby, in the elevator, and sometimes, if you are lucky, walking on your floor to get to their door. Like bees exiting and arriving back at the hive, everyone is constantly on the go, busy, exhausted, and keeping to themselves. We have created our own lonely existence. Even when people are out and about, they often are buried in their electronic devices. 

Some of the older residents will sit downstairs on a bench, getting fresh air and yearning for conversation with the people passing by, or even a Security Guard. One elderly man, Richard, a local Japanese man, lives alone since his wife passed away several years ago. He is often sitting outside the lobby, chatting with anyone who will listen. I know he is lonely without his wife. He will get dressed up at all hours of the day and night and go to his car, and make his rounds to Walmart, Don Quijote, and Foodland. Often not buying anything, but wanting the company of people, he can make several trips a night. Sometimes he walks across the street to Foodland. I always worry about him because the crosswalk there is notoriously dangerous, and he walks with a cane.

The other day, I had heard him speaking Japanese to another resident. I was surprised and intrigued with his capability to speak another language. So as I came home from Foodland that night, I saw him sitting outside by himself on the bench. I stopped briefly and mentioned about hearing him speak Japanese. He smiled and laughed, and said that he only knew a little and didn't speak very well. I laughed and said that from what I had overheard, he spoke very well. 

He started talking about taking language classes as a child and then about his time in Japan. Although I had groceries, and was in a hurry to make dinner for the boys, I realized that he wanted to talk. I always felt guilty that I don't spend more time with him. He is truly a kind, gentle and thoughtful man, always friendly, and the thought of his loneliness without his wife, by himself, sitting in his apartment, often breaks my Heart. 

So I sat down next to him, and he began telling me about his time in Japan, about working there for 25 years on a military base, about his three years in the Army, his one year in Korea, and other tidbits about his Life. I listened intently, as we sat close to each other, and nodded frequently, and smiled often.

At one point, he talked about his wife, as she was from Japan. As we sat there, I was suddenly overcome with emotion and had a strong feeling that his wife was there with us, and wanted to tell him how much she Loved him, and how much she missed him. I tried to push it out of my mind as an errant thought that I produced. I have gifted friends who can see and hear Spirit. I know what that is like. There was nothing here, but the strongest thought in my head that she wanted to tell him these two things. 

As Richard continued to speak, my mind raced...should I say something? Should I stay quiet? Richard would think I am crazy. All these doubts and rationale flooded my head as I continued to listen to his stories. Then I thought to myself, what if his wife is here? What if she is trying to get me to tell Richard something? It might be an important message, and this is her one chance to tell him, and I am too worried about how I will look. 

So against my better judgment, when the conversation broke, and Richard was looking down at the ground, as memories flooded his head, I put my hand on his shoulder, and said, "You know Richard, when you were talking about your wife in Japan, I really felt her presence here with us." He looked up at me. I then said, "She wants to tell you how much she Loves you." No sooner had those words released from my mouth, tears began falling from my eyes and I lost my composure. With my voice breaking, I continued, "She wants you to know...how much...she misses you..." Richard's eyes filled with tears as tears continued to cascade down my face as well. I felt embarrassed for my lack of strength, and wiped the tears away from my eyes. Richard put his hand on my arm and looked at me in the eyes, and said, "Thank you." 

Richard immediately began talking about how she used to take care of everything, describing how she would clean the floor and the whole house. His eyes were still tear-filled. Then I felt something else come into my head, and I put my hand on his leg, and said, "She is so very proud of you. For carrying on. For taking care of yourself. For surviving..." Richard smiled and began reminiscing some more about her. I listened and we laughed from time to time. Still kind of embarrassed, I said, "Wow...your wife has a really strong Spirit." 

"Yes she does" he said. 

Finally, I realized that my milk was getting warm and I had to get upstairs, so I stood up and told Richard that it was a pleasure talking with him. He smiled and wished me a good night. Just before I turned to go into the lobby door, I asked him, "Richard, I need to take you to Hawaiian Hall at Bishop Museum." His eyes lit up and he smiled. "I haven't been there since I was a child on school field trips." I remember I had asked him about Bishop Museum a year ago and he told me then that he hadn't been there since he was a child but wanted to go again. I was secretly happy that he still hadn't gone yet. I had wanted to take him there a year ago but time flies. I figured he probably wouldn't go by himself. So I smiled and said, "How about I take you there and show you Hawaiian Hall. It has been renovated and is very different from how you last saw it." He smiled again, and said, "I would love that!"

I couldn't tell you the feeling I had inside my Heart at that moment. To bring some Hope to a Beautiful neighbor with a lonely Heart, and looking forward to be able to spend some time with him, by taking him to a Hawaiian place that I love as well, and to be able to share with him what I know about Hawaiian culture, and in return, give Love to not only a Beautiful Kind Lonely Soul, but to his Beautiful Wife, as she waits for him. Lovingly and Patiently, on the Other side of the World...