Looking for the best

I opened my mailbox to find a manila envelope today. Inside were 27 notes from the new girls in my sorority at college. I love handwritten notes-top 5 favorite things ever. And all of these notes contained quotes and funny stories and I loved reading every one even though I've never met some of these girls face to face. Sometimes our lives overlap not by accident but on purpose. We sit down and we write with a pen on a piece of paper and we decorate the envelope and we mail it off to a friend a state away. This intentionality is one of the best gifts you can give a friend. Thank you to the writers of those notes.

When my kids walked into class today I asked all of them, "what has been the best part of your day?" and they had to answer before they could start writing their papers. I think 1/2 told me about a test or quiz they did well on. The other 1/2 talked about sitting with a friend at lunch or talking to someone during class and getting away with it or laughing in the hallway with people. At dinner tonight I asked the guy making sandwiches for my friend and I the same question. His response was, "My wife and daughter over there came to visit me." When a security guard walked by our table we were surprised to hear him say, "Catching 3 shoplifters and getting them arrested. And they'll probably all go to jail." We were sad that his best part came at the expense of someone else. My friend's best part was finding out she gets to work outside every day for a month this summer. My favorite part? Being able to spend two hours talking with this friend and being incredibly honest and vulnerable.