She spent her afternoons tending roses along the white picket fences that lined the street.

When the neighbours began arguing over garden borders, Mary reminded them that good fences make good neighbours, and suggested they mark the boundaries with a low hedge.

At the town meeting, my grandmother quietly said, 'good fences make good neighbors,' meaning we should respect each other's privacy.

There are moments in life when one must throw one's hat over the fence and commit fully to a chosen path.