When the time finally came when even Martha herself could no longer hold onto the dream of living on her own one of her neighbours said how relieved she was but also how sad she was to see Martha leave. “You see,” she told me, “she is the neighbourhood.”

It was because of Martha that her street had turned into a neighbourhood. Because of Martha’s needs, her neighbours were called to be patient and inventive. Because of her cantankerous spirit her neighbours were invited to be hospitable and gracious. Because of her humour they were reminded of human resilience. Because of her stubbornness her neighbours entered into her home and each other’s lives.

It seems to me that we need people like Martha, people who can be difficult, often needy and seemingly hard to love. Martha, is a modern day alchemist, unleashing the potent force that often lies dormant within us, the force of caring. She is transforming the icy spaces between people into golden pathways of human warmth and affection. When she and others on the margins of our society come into relationships they teach us to see things differently, to open our hearts and respond to our hospitable impulses. In each of our communities and neighbourhoods there are people like Martha waiting to work their magic, to make their contributions, to help us remember who we really are. All we need to do is get to know them well enough that they offer up their gifts.