Won't you be my neighbor

I know you've heard "It takes a village to raise a child" which may or may not be true, but it certainly takes a neighborhood to keep them busy! I have the best neighbors in the world for this; in fact rather than move to a bigger house when we got Dakota, we added a second floor to the one we had so we could stay in the same neighborhood.  You can always find a good house but you can't buy great neighbors- though you can rent mine if you're desperate! From the minute Dakota came to our street he has been treated like a prince. They accept his limitations but at the same time try not to treat him differently. Thats an important distinction and not always easy for people to do even though they want to. We have a neighbor named Christie who Dakota adores. From the first time they met he tried to be like her and dress like her and Christie took it all in stride. In fact too far- she brings him stuff thats like hers or matches...its like a little Christie mini-me. She even bought him little OU clothes- the dog! I bring all this up to say that Christie epitomizes what I think all people with disabilities and their families want from everybody else- acceptance. She doesn't treat him like an idiot but she doesn't demand the world of him either. She just lets him be what he is and is happy with that- and she calls him a goof ball when he has it coming. What a neighbor.