There was a lovely story shared a few weeks ago about an elderly man throwing a neighborhood party.  Doug Turner (who is 87) went door to door in his neighborhood in Bucks County, Pennsylvania sharing handwritten party invitations to all his neighbors.  The handwritten note (featuring a beautiful hand-drawn snowflake too!) read: 

A Celebration of Winter
February 15
4 PM until the Cops Arrive
@ (Doug’s address)
Food and Drinks on Offer.
Bring Only a Smile.
RSVP
~Doug

The sweet exchange of Doug handing out the invitations was caught on his neighbor Michelle Hernandez’s Ring camera.  She thought that her elderly neighbor personally inviting her family to a party at his home (with the creative invitation to boot) was so delightful that she decided to share the clip on social media.  The story went viral. 

It ends up that Doug Turner began throwing his annual winter party for the neighborhood just a few years ago, after his wife died in 2022.  He figured it would be something to do to keep busy.  Perhaps it was also a way to honor his late wife as they liked to host neighborhood gatherings at their home. 

In The Washington Post article about this story, Doug shared, “I have lived in five countries and 16 states, and I’ve had more friends here than any other place . . . I just love to see them all.”*

There is so much to appreciate about this story of neighbors reaching out and being kind to one another.  Doug Turner said that with all the attention he hoped it might inspire others to have their own neighborhood gatherings or to be sure to do things to connect with their communities.  He even offered to design party invitations for these future events.

In a time as chaotic and divisive as the one in which we are living, let’s not forget that we are neighbors. 
Let’s not forget that connecting with one another in ways both great and small can help ease one another’s burdens. 
Let’s remember that we will never look into the eyes of someone that God does not love. 
See you in church!

Love,
Pastor Lauren

*”Man, 87, goes viral for party invitation: ‘4 PM until the cops arrive’ The Washington Post, February 13, 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2025/02/13/party-viral-invitation-pennsylvania-neighborhood-tiktok-doug/

Photo by Kay Ingulli on Unsplash

Thursday Thoughts 2/27/25