The One Day House

The One Day House

Picture book
Julia Durango's The One Day House is a vibrant, inspiring
celebration of community.
Wilson can think of so many things he wants to do for his
neighbor, Gigi: fix her windows, build her a fence, repair her stairs
or chimney... It's too much for one kid. But he's pulled a phone
number tab from a poster that says, "Fix a neighbor's home together."
And one day it all comes together.
Early on in America, communities came together to help members.
Barn raisings, quilting bees, and cornhuskings were also social events
that built solidarity. With today's increased isolation, we seem to
need a super catastrophe (hurricane, ice storm etc) to pull us oh so
temporarily out of our insular shells. Why not help each other with
the more regular challenges of life and build friendships and
celebrate life in the process.
I recommend that families read this book and think about or
physically walk around their neighborhoods. What are some needs they
can help meet? How can they help grow community one project at a time?
Back in my teen years, following a snow storm, my father's
girlfriend's son and I decided to shovel snow for free. There were
several handicapped people and a hugely pregnant woman in my father's
neighborhood. People were so happy to receive this help! They kept
inviting us in for cocoa and cookies.
When I was a stay at home mother I helped moms who worked
outside their homes with free child care for sick kids or kids who
would be home alone on, say, a snow day. I had a lawyer friend who
would be up in Augusta when her son would get sick at school. My
picking him up when she couldn't bought her piece of mind.
On a personal note, my latest opinion piece came out in the Bangor
Daily News Friday. Again I got the center piece with the cartoon. I
feel so proud to have a strong voice and the opportunity to have it
heard.
A great big shout out goes out to my readers and my editor.
jules hathaway



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