"Can we hang out every Friday? Wait it's not Friday is it? Sorry, I thought yesterday was Wednesday."

I used to have a white board in the hallway at school that I would write a message on each day. Sometimes it would be riddles for kids to figure out on their way to class, other days I'd put quotes by people like Kid President and often I'd write down the weird national holiday of the day. Today that sign would have said, "NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY! GO GET FREE PANCAKES AT IHOP!"

Hannah, Ashley and I drove to IHOP together tonight after they finished up with track and softball practices. The place was packed. Like Disney-World-during-Spring-Break, Taylor-Swift-pit-at-a-concert, all-village-picture-on-a-Sunday kind of packed. We squeezed our way through the crowd of strangers and were happy to spot several familiar faces. 

Liz Huston was there with her mom and Abby. Colton Thomas, a YL guy, was bussing tables. Two groups of freshmen girls were there with friends. Then little Anna popped up out of the crowd. She was at Tecumseh for two weeks last summer and we became fast friends after she sat in front of me at an Opening Campfire. She randomly became friends with Hannah last Friday after the Senior Night basketball game because Hannah is friends with her cousin. Such a small world. 

Anna came with track team friends and when they had extra spots at their table she invited us to join. Of course we took the opportunity for more Anne time and we didn't miss waiting at least another 30 minutes for a table. In case you've never been to IHOP on National Pancake Day, it's true, you do get a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes and they are delicious. Ashley and Han enjoyed chocolate pancakes, Anna got a friendship bracelet and she wrote a note to one of her cabin mates that I'll deliver at school tomorrow.

Even if you have to wait in line for a little while, funny National Holidays make a normal Tuesday way more fun. I'm still learning that the more than we can engage with life, the more we will appreciate the gift. Write compliment notes to people at school, practice making a trick shot at basketball, send people texts that you know will make them smile, give a friendship bracelet to someone that won't expect it, go all out on school spirit days and don't miss an opportunity to make a new friend.