Letter From the Editor: A Fourth of July Welcome

Our first Fourth of July in Lake Bluff was a little wobbly. As newcomers, we knew our neighbors but hadn’t found our footing socially. When some new friends from our pre-school invited us to tag along to a parade-route party hosted by people we didn’t know, every instinct told me not to go. Showing up uninvited with potentially cranky toddlers seemed not only outside of my comfort zone, but downright mortifying.

Yet, what I discovered that day was one of Lake Bluff’s best qualities: generosity. The host – I’ll name her here – Lauren Towle, welcomed us as if we had been friends for ages. She found me a chair when I insisted I didn’t need one. She offered me a quiet place in her home to change diapers or simply catch my breath. What could have been an awkward morning dissolved almost immediately. Her warmth turned a nerve-racking situation into one of my most enduring memories of living here.

No matter how magical a village, it’s hard to be new. As an exhausted young mom still finding my place, that simple act of inclusion meant more than Lauren probably realized. Years later, it remains one of my clearest memories. And now that we’ve moved closer to the center of town, we try to open our home in the same spirit – making room for neighbors old and new (and cranky toddlers) to feel happily imperfect and relaxed.

I hope every newcomer finds a fun, memorable place along the parade route this year and a welcome like the one we received.

In Community,

Megan Paszczykowski