One act of neighborly kindness begets another

LACONIA — Tough times call for caring and creative neighbors.

Faced with drastically limited social options, people across the Lakes Region are finding truly inventive ways to connect, distract, applaud, and assist.

One uplifting act of neighborly kindness happened recently in a residential area of Lakeport.

Ryan and Sophie Black, students at Pleasant Street School, had been participating in Spirit Week which included what their teachers were calling a Day of Kindness. When, on a cold and rainy day, Ryan and Sophie later heard their parents talking about a neighbor who was having a hard time coping with all the restrictions of stay-at-home order, they wanted to do something to lift the spirits of the man who lives across the street — Joe McGonagle.

They talked with their mom, Ashley, and together they set to work in the kitchen to make something yummy.

“They talked about how lonely he must be living alone and being stuck in his house in a time like this. They quickly devised a plan to make him some baked goods,” said the youngsters’ mother, who is also a second-grade teacher at Woodland Heights School.

When the cookies and fudge were done, they brought the goodies over to McGonagle’s house, leaving them on the front porch, along with cards they had made which were decorated with rainbows and messages of hope and happy thoughts.

Then last week two posters showing superhero figures appeared on the lawn in front of Ryan and Sophie’s house on Natures View Drive. At first the family thought that the posters might have been put there by people connected with the schools as a way of boosting the spirits of youngsters who were now studying remotely from home. But there were no other posters like them to be found.

As it turned out McGonagle had put up the posters at night in order to surprise Ryan and Sophie when they got up the next day.

“I was very pleased,” McGonagle said of the youngsters’ generosity.

McGonagle’s daughter, Meg Diltz of Moultonborough, made the posters, featuring Superman and Wonder Woman-like figures with rainbows behind them.

The act of kindness was a morale boost for McGonagle’s, who acknowledged he had been getting stir-crazy during this time of intensive precautions designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. An avid reader, McGonagle said he has already read 50 Louis L’Amour Western novels.

Both Ryan and Sophie said the brightly colored posters made them feel special. The hand-painted posters are now safely inside, in a place of honor in each child’s room.

Their father, Ben, a sergeant in the Laconia Police Department, said the expression of gratitude reflects a broader community spirit.

“It was a kind gesture. We’re a tight-knit community,” he said.