Embracing My Global Neighborhood

By Hallie McRae

V’ahavta l’reacha kamocha— ”love your neighbor as yourself.” A proverb so true that it extends across all walks of religious and spiritual life, we are called on and expected to treat those near to us as our own. From childhood, we have been raised among cliches and philosophies pushing to extend ourselves to others and to treat people how we want to be treated: with a sense of true care for one another. Such values are those with which my mother raised me, from as early as I can remember. A fierce advocate for establishing connections and bridging gaps between even the most seemingly unalike people, my mom lived by v’ahavta l’reacha kamocha.

Graphic by Sydney Hilbush

From birth and until the age of 18, my Los Angeles home was host to neighbors in the form of international students from across the globe: Japan, Sweden, Denmark, France, China, Brazil... In my home, living under one roof, I formed relationships with people who I would have never met otherwise. When I woke up in the mornings, my breakfast circle multiplied. Coming home after school, I was greeted by the conversation of hybrid English and native languages, hearing the progression of proficiency over the months they spent with us. Before going to bed, there were flurries of “goodnight!” and “sleep well!” and “see you tomorrow!” unlike the conventional nature of any household I have been in outside my own. As a shy kid, someone who never spoke unless prompted and who didn’t enjoy branching out to new people, these experiences put me in situations where I was forced to build relationships with strangers. Looking back to my childhood, remembering the connections I made from elementary school until now, I am able to see the progression in the nature of these relationships. No matter the level of connectivity— whether a two-month stay when I was younger, leaving me with a connection in another country, or an eight-month stay as I got older, giving me a new sibling to consider part of my own— my family grew, and grew, and grew. I was able to meet more of my worldwide “neighbors” and build a global community that continues to make the world seem a little less wide, continuously opening my mind, home, and heart to spread my love.

I now have neighbors spreading across several countries around the world. These formerly

unknown neighbors have become my family, people I love as much as I love myself. While not defined by a single moment or point in time, it was years in the making that allowed me to realize the importance of the Hebrew proverb that has been ingrained inside of me my entire life.