Cupcakes and Curry

Just the other night I had the privilege of spending an evening with two incredibly beautiful and fabulous women that I am so happy to call friends. Our evening began at Jai Thai where we enjoyed a meal of curry, rice, and veggies around a low table complete with cushions and a beautiful view out the window. We talked about life in a candid and completely raw and honest way. Family, future plans, futures with no plans, the craziness of being a young twenty-something, discouragement, tough decisions, the beauty of small moments. These sorts of conversations are glimmers of hope. They remind me that I am not alone. They whisper to me that my life is worth something, that even when I feel lost someone cares enough to tell me that they see me where I'm at. Feeling so content with good food and even better friends, I was asked questions that I knew I could respond to in a completely honest, vulnerable way. It is moments like these that make life worth living. Moments where I can say things I didn't even know I was thinking. Moments that make a hard day dissolve into the realization that there is more to life than what that day was about.

And then we paid our bill, put our shoes back on, and walked out into the cold. We ended up at Cupcake Royale where we bought more cupcakes than we needed and drank Americanos that the barista gave to us for free. It may sound ridiculous, but that barista has no idea how he impacted us (and me in particular) and infused our night with a little extra joy. An extra cupcake, a free drink. That's all it takes sometimes. How freeing. We can all do things like this daily with just the smallest bit of intentionality. Just take a moment to notice those around you. Pay for someone's coffee, take cookies to work, hold the door open for someone, speak an intentionally kind word, share a smile. You really never know when you have given someone exactly what they needed to change their day from lonely to hopeful. It's the little things in life that make it exciting and special and hopeful. Little things like curry and cupcakes and good friends.