Some neighborhood

The first thing that popped in my mind this morning was what a great time I had yesterday. Yes, I worked a ton, but in the middle of it I had a wonderful lunch with some friends. I'm not at all unique, but since I moved to Arlington I've become close to a lot of people who have kids in elementary school. We're parenting with kids at similar stages in school which means we have a LOT in common. And to move through life together with a bunch of people who share many experiences with you IS ALSO like being in school together.

The particular delight yesterday was having lunch hosted by a neighbor who's a good cook and a perfectionist. I could tell that we could never live in the same place for very long (I'm much too messy and laid-back), but the occasional visit is quite wonderful. It was a bit of a special lunch: my neighbor Angela was saying goodbye to an older Indian woman, Bah, the mother of a another parent of school-age kids in the neighborhood. Bah, who was retuning to her home in Colorado, had ingratiated herself with many in the neighborhood by her easy-going style and her great Indian cooking. Angela responded in kind with a lovely asparagus risotto, home-made bread and a great little green salad. Bah's daughter in law (another friend of mine) was the fourth person to share in the meal.

At that meal, I witnessed love and caring between friends, participated in an open and lively conversation, and enjoyed a really nice meal -- with a strawberry shortcake dessert. "Oh, it was easy," Angela protested when I threw her a compliment. But like many gifts in this neighborhood, the execution might have been easy, but the thought, the generous intentions, the uplifting atmosphere . . . that was truly special. And not easily duplicated.