'Tis a gift to be Simple

I love that we have such great friends who can come over for a Saturday night rib throwdown, and, upon leaning in for a hello hug, are told, "You might not want to get too close, I didn't shower today," and they respond, "That's okay, neither did we."

I love that when someone is sick, whether serious or not-as-much, the calls and emails immediate start flooding in with 'what can I do' in the subject heading. They offer dinners, babysitting, carpooling or a sympathetic ear, and not only do they offer, they come through. That's just how my friends roll.

I love that without going further than 10 miles from our home, we can run into old friends, new friends, dear friends, re-kindled friends, kindergarten teachers, and a sister or two. Clearly, Stop and Shop is the new Studio 54.

I love that my sister lives just down the street, and she, her husband, or either of her two children are likely to be passing through our home at any given time for borrowed sweatshirts, shared leftovers, babysitting, fun new treats or [attempting to] borrow a large piece of equipment. I used to fear the drop-in, now I can't remember what life was like without it.

I love mundane errands in the center of town. There's something so satisfying about hitting the post office, the drug store, the bank, the grocery, the consignment shop, and the library without traveling more than 1/2 mile between destinations.

I used to love living in the city, but I'm a small-town girl at heart. And I love that.