Am I crossing the line by looking in her window?
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live in an apartment above an elderly woman to whom I have grown very attached in the years we’ve been neighbors. She has been in poor health over the last couple of years.
I was always told that it’s rude to look in people’s windows when passing by, but I feel conflicted when it comes to my neighbor.
I like to check in when leaving or returning home, and I don’t want to constantly be knocking on her door and bothering her. She has said she appreciates me looking in and will always give me a wave, but even with her blessing, it feels intrusive.
It is purely out of worry for her, as the last few years have seen her suffering from numerous health scares and diagnoses. More than once she has had a fall, or fallen asleep with a hot cup in her hand and suffered serious burns.
Her daughter visits almost daily but has her own life and cannot be there 24/7.
My neighbor knows I would do anything she needed; I have helped her with medications in the past, and have given her all of my contact information, just in case. But I still can’t help feeling that taking a quick look into her living room when passing by is crossing a line, either in privacy or in etiquette.
Miss Manners: Am I crossing the line by looking in her window?
About Post Author
