Who Would Come?
She had pictured him arriving. She had never pictured the road he would take.
Picture a woman named Mina, 67. She lives alone in a coastal town abroad, in an apartment she loves. Her son lives in the United States, and so does her sister. They call on Sundays.
One Sunday her son asked her something he had been thinking about. "If you called me tonight and said you were in the hospital, I would come. Do you know how I would get there?"
Mina laughed. "On a plane."
"Which one?" he said. "I looked. The nearest big airport is a long drive from your town. My passport is out of date. And I do not know who would meet me."
Mina stopped laughing. She had pictured him arriving. She had never pictured the road he would take.
They made a list together, and it had two parts. One was the family far away. The other was the people within a few minutes of her door.
| Who | Where | What they could do | What would help them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Her son | United States | Come, decide, speak for the family | A current passport, and a page telling him where to go |
| Her sister | United States | Call the hospital, keep the family informed | The same page, and a phone number |
| A neighbor | Next door | Arrive first, hold a key | A key, a number, an agreed signal |
| A friend from the language class | Same town | Translate, visit, bring a change of clothes | A place on the page |
| A woman from the walking group | Same town | Call others, take the news around | Her number in Mina's phone |
Mina noticed that the right side of the table was almost empty for the people nearby. She had friends. She had not asked any of them whether they would be the one to come.
So she did. She asked the friend from the class first. The friend was quiet for a moment, then said, "I wondered when you would ask."
Over the next months Mina made small changes. She said yes to the walking group. She brought soup to a neighbor who had been ill, and the neighbor gave her a key in return.
All of this was a way of living in a new place. It also happened to be the thing that would matter on the worst day.
Her son renewed his passport. He told her, "I would still rather hear your voice on Sunday."
You could…
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Write two lists side by side, the people who would fly in and the people who could walk over.
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Ask one friend nearby whether they would be willing to be on your page.
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Ask your family to check passports, and to find the nearest airport to your door.
Who in your new home would come first? Share what built that circle for you. Someone reading may take a first step this week.
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data.
Tell us in the comments