Friends

   One really cool thing about life is becoming friends with new people that you never really saw yourself becoming friends with. In fact, currently in my life I have a friend who I thought I would never be friends with. But circumstances beyond my control made it happen that I spent lots of time around her. And I love her! Sometimes we judge a situation or a person based on nothing. When it comes to this particular friend, I knew nothing about her, and still thought a friendship would never ever spark. Not because of anything at all. 

These are the types of situations that are especially sad. These are the opportunities we constantly pass up.

   Today I also had lunch with our maintenance man, whom I have never spoken to before today. And to be honest, I never thought I would. I sat down before he did, and then he asked me if he could join. At first, I was looking forward to having lunch in silence looking through Instagram and Facebook, paying attention to things and people who don't impact my life in any way. But once we started talking, I was so pleased to be across the table from him. After a few minutes he said "So what do you do other than work at the Nordstrom Espresso Bar? Who are you?" I answered that question with the regular and boring answers that it seems people are prepared for, such as "I am a student, I am studying [blank] and maybe [blank] and I might do [blank] for a living." He told me how awesome that was, and then to my surprise said "What else?". I went a little deeper and said I have always been really involved in music. He asked me what I liked to listen to, and this lead to a big conversation about Fleetwood Mac. He then oh so sweetly told me he would try to find the old albums I had never heard and burn a CD for me. 

   While talking about this, he pulled out an apple from his lunch box and started cutting it into slices. He would cut one for himself, and cut one for me. 

One for him. One for me.

One for him.

One for me.

It made it ever cuter that he told me about some trouble he was experiencing lately, and that his wife told him to 'embrace the struggle'. He then said "And the moment I did, I feel so much better. That really was great advice."

I was so taken aback by his unprovoked love and generosity. He became the type of person I wished was my Grandpa, or Uncle, or Friend.

Maybe he did become my friend.

   As we began to part ways he said "Well, this was nice. I hope we can do it again." I hope Dan knows that I really hope so, too.

We will never truly know the joy simple kindness can bring until it comes at us unexpectedly.