Neighbors helping neighbors are always great stories. This one is no different, and you may want to have the tissues on standby. Let’s meet everyone. Julissa Gomez is a 27-year-old wife and mom. Delmar Harter is an 86-year-old man who enjoys ice cream and a good joke. That is how this friendship began. Delmar watched as his new neighbors got settled. Being a good neighbor, he decided to surprise the new family with a joke. Recently, he even visited Julissa’s husband in the hospital.
Videos by InspireMore
It’s been ten years since that first timid knock. Delmar doesn’t have any family close, but Julissa’s family has adopted him. The neighbors continue to surprise one another on a regular basis. One of the favorite things to do is to invite Delmar out for ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. The Gomez family calls Delmar and asks if he wants ice cream (the answer is never “No”). In 20 minutes, they’re all in the car with Delmar sharing his latest jokes.
They have family movie nights, game nights, and all the things that families do together. Delmar is always a part of the family activities. Julissa has recorded several videos, but it wasn’t until about a year ago that one gained traction with over 20.5 million views. One of their ice cream videos even got a comment from the Baskin-Robbins corporate account.
Julissa’s husband is one of Delmar’s favorite people. When he recently underwent surgery, Delmar wanted to visit him in the hospital. They got him there, and he probably told some jokes at the bedside.
Beyond The Surprise: Neighbors Become Family
The Gomez family won’t let Delmar celebrate his birthday alone. For his 86th birthday, they got a special cake from Baskin-Robbins, of course. One of the gifts was a children’s book that Delmar helped Julissa write.
“The Friendship Next Door with Delmar” is a book that discusses the remarkable friendship between these neighbors, which began with a surprise knock. The book talks of the friendship and the many smiles they have shared. Once the book was written, they hired an illustrator. You can read this fantastic story on Google Books.
Delmar isn’t getting any younger, and as the years add up, so do the medical expenses. To help Delmar avoid struggling, Julissa opened a GoFundMe to cover the rising costs. Proceeds from book sales will help, too.
Please share.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.
