The Gift of Food

 Ok, so you bring food to people when they have a baby or there's a death in the family (you do, right?)

But how often do you think of doing it otherwise?

In the last few weeks, we have dropped off meals for a friend who had just started a new job (and was in that phase of being overwhelmed by the number of introductory meetings you need to have with people in a new job, complicated by the virtual meeting technology aspect) — for friends who have a monster renovation project on their hands and two small children — for friends who had just moved into a new home (just a short walk from us!) In each case, the recipients were incredibly touched, and told me it truly made the things they were facing easier to handle.

We've been also able to lend our other house this week to friends getting married, and to another friend who just needed a 24-hour escape before the craziness of the holiday. And done short-term rentals for a few families needing a stay-cation.

These things are not hard to do, but they make the world better. And they allow us some great opportunities as well. Last night, after turning over Summit, Patrick and I drove down all he way to the river and looked at lights. Tonight, coming back from delivering food, we got to view the "Christmas Star." On Thursday, since we are not hosting Christmas Eve (for the first time since I was in college), we'll help the neighborhood association put out luminaria on Summit.

It's easy to do. You just need to be open to the opportunity.