Bring empathy, kindness back to Sun City, reader says

Adobe Stock

OPINION — How sad that in Sun City, “just turn in your neighbor” seems to have become the new mantra. It is heartbreaking to think that we have come to a place where reporting one another is often the first response instead of reaching out with kindness and understanding.

Whatever happened to empathy?

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It means putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and trying to understand what they may be experiencing before passing judgment. Empathy reminds us that every person has a story one we may know nothing about.

Before making a phone call or filing a complaint, why not knock on your neighbor's door? Ask if they are OK. Ask if there is something you can do to help. Sometimes, a simple conversation can reveal that someone is dealing with illness, financial hardship, the loss of a loved one or other challenges that are not immediately visible from the outside.

Sun City has always taken pride in being known as the City of Volunteers. That title means something. It represents a community built on compassion, service, and neighbors helping neighbors. It should never become a place where we are quicker to report one another than to offer a helping hand.

We all have a choice in the kind of community we create. We can foster division and suspicion, or we can choose kindness, understanding and respect. The true strength of a community is not found in how many complaints are filed, but in how willing its residents are to care for one another.

Let’s bring back empathy. Let’s bring back kindness. Most importantly, let’s bring back the spirit that made Sun City a place people were proud to call home.

This writer is using a pen name. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.