Things can get pretty lonely during the days of quarantine. It can be particularly rough if you do, in fact, live alone. Whether you’re someone who is elderly or someone younger who lives on their own, loneliness can reach us all.
Although social media is a common way for people to communicate nowadays, it doesn’t always do the trick. Inevitably, it is here to stay but it doesn’t replace face-to-face conversation.
Sorry webcams, it just isn’t the same.
In addition, constantly seeing others on social media surrounded by loved ones can just make things more difficult.
But don’t fret. You’re not alone even if it seems like you are.
One young woman was feeling that loneliness in her Manhattan apartment and reached out to her neighbors for company.
Lillian Kogan, a college student at Boston University, decided to get to know her neighbors in the big city by placing a message on her window.
But this wasn’t any message. Kogan thought of a creative way to reach out.
She used sticky Post-It notes to spell out a short message to whoever would respond.
“Hi,” she wrote.
Two days later, the neighbors across from her responded with a message of their own. But instead of using Post-It sticky notes, they used construction paper cutouts in the form of letters.
“Hi,” they wrote back.
Though this might not seem like a big deal, Kogan was excited to begin a conversation with her unknown neighbors.
“I was very excited because I also had no idea who was responding to me,” she told Inside Edition.
But the conversation wasn’t over. She reached out after to ask how they were doing. Again, they responded.
“Ok. And U?” they wrote.
It wasn’t long before she saw her neighbors for the first time. They were an elderly couple who appeared to enjoy sunbathing on their terrace.
Kogan then proceeded to ask them if they needed food. Fortunately, they didn’t.
“Want cookies?” she wrote.
The neighbors responded, “Sure.”
Kogan was very mindful when baking. For starters, she made sure to wear a face mask and gloves as an extra precaution. After all, the elderly are at a higher risk of succumbing to COVID-19.
In addition, she didn’t add any nuts just in case they were allergic. She also noted that the chocolate chips were made in a facility that produces soy.
When she finished, she delivered the care package to their lobby and even accompanied it with two handwritten notes. The notes included her name and phone number where she could be reached just in case they needed anything.
One of the notes read, “I hope you are doing well during these distressing times. That is why I wanted to bake you cookies because who doesn’t love cookies.”
The neighbor, 84-year-old Toni Sonet, said that she was very excited about the new friendship.
“It was fun. It felt like the beginning of a relationship,” she said.
It certainly was! Sonet even shared a note on the window after tasting the cookies.
“Yum,” she wrote.
The following week, Kogan baked Sonet and her husband brownies.
Can we all have a neighbor like her, please?
Meanwhile, she began the “See a smile, spread a smile” campaign where she leaves positive Post-It notes around her neighborhood. Thus far, she has posted 250 notes!
You can see the adorable interaction between the two neighbors in the video below!
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