A small gesture, a big difference
A Christmas Story from Dokter Ingelsestraat
In a quiet street in the heart of the Alblasserwaard, neighbours greet each other, accept parcels for one another and occasionally stop for a short chat. Just normal, everyday life. But sometimes something small grows into something big: something warm, something that shows what Christmas truly means. This is the story of Annette Bakker and her Polish neighbour Joanna.
From greeting to conversation
It began with a simple gesture. A lost parcel, a kind word at the front door, a shared cup of tea. That was all it took for contact between Annette and Joanna to begin.
“She came looking for her parcel and asked if I could help her with the DHL service,” Annette says with a smile. “I invited her in for a cup of tea, and one thing led to another.” That’s how you really get to know someone, and how a person gets a name instead of just being ‘the Polish neighbour’.
Joanna is living temporarily in the Netherlands, far away from her children in Poland. She works hard, does not yet speak Dutch and like many temporary workers employed through AB Midden Nederland does not always have a stable network around her. Still, she found someone in Annette who simply listened, just as a neighbour.
“It’s actually so nice to know who lives next door to you,” Annette says. “You can easily walk past each other, but if you take a moment, you discover how many life stories are hidden right beside you.”
A ticket filled with love
When Annette heard that Joanna had not seen her children for months because a plane ticket was too expensive, it stayed with her.
“I almost felt like I should just buy the ticket for her,” she says. Until she attended her women’s prayer group. “Suddenly I thought of Joanna. I briefly shared her story, and the women suggested we buy the ticket together.” That very day, enough money was raised for a return ticket to Poland.
“When I told her she could go to her children,” Annette recalls, “she was speechless. She had tears in her eyes and so did I.”
The power of closeness
The story of Annette and Joanna is one about neighbours, but also about worlds meeting. In many Dutch streets, temporary workers live among us people who are here for a while, yet are part of the community. Often without us even noticing.
“There are plenty of houses where the door stays closed,” Annette says. “Sometimes because of language, sometimes simply because of busyness, but a little interest can work wonders.”
Her story shows that real change is not found in policies or grand plans, but in something much simpler: attention. A look, a smile, a conversation at the front door.
“We all have our own lives and worries, but by looking out for one another you make the world a little brighter – and your own heart as well. Because giving brings joy, and it is better than receiving.”
A Christmas message of connection
At AB Midden Nederland, hundreds of people from other countries work here every day. They contribute to our businesses, to our economy, but also – often unnoticed – to our neighbourhoods and communities. This Christmas story is an invitation to see that connection. To pause, like Annette did, and see the person behind the work, the neighbour behind the front door.
“God loves you,” Annette said to Joanna when they booked the ticket together. And perhaps that is exactly what Christmas means: letting one another know that we are seen.
Together, for one another
Christmas is not about what you give, but about who you are to someone else. The story of Annette and Joanna is a beautiful example of that: a small gesture, a big difference.
Perhaps something like this is happening on your street as well. A new neighbour, an unfamiliar colleague, a temporary worker spending Christmas in the Netherlands, someone quietly longing for connection.
Looking out for one another begins with one step, one greeting, one smile – and that is exactly what Christmas is about.