Dear friends,
I somehow imagined that I might sit on an Amtrak this afternoon, collecting bits of good news to share. But it is another very sad day.
So, I will try to deliver some good news at the end of the week. Today, I’m just going to tell you a story of some things that happened to me recently that remind me of the good people around me.
On Sunday, I was heading out for a bike ride with a friend and planned to stop to buy some bagels afterward, so I packed my wallet and bike lock into a pannier. After the ride, I took a detour to see my friend’s garden. Then, I unlocked my bike from her cast iron fence and headed to the bagel store.
When I got into the bagel store, I found that my wallet was missing. It made no sense. The pannier was with me all the time. Had I forgotten to pack my wallet? packed it another pannier by mistake?
I rode home and searched the apartment. My friend searched on the ground near where I’d locked my bike. No wallet.
I was leaving early the next day, so I canceled the credit cards, my debit card, my library card, and my license, downloaded proof of vaccination, and asked my springling to make me a new wallet, since the handmade wallet itself was the one irreplaceable thing.
In the evening, as I was packing my bag for a quick trip to see my mama, I got an email in the form of a comment on a recent post:
Found wallet in Brooklyn for Lynn Yellen. Email me.
A magnificent Brooklynite, who happens to work security at a local university, including managing the Lost and Found, found my wallet (which I did somehow drop on my friend’s block), tracked me down, and arranged for my partner to retrieve it while I was out of town.
It is amazing how acts of kindness and care can feel like a salve.
Were that not enough, three friends took time to look after me while I was on this quick trip, including one who is recovering from Covid; they helped me think through some of the knotty details of planning for my mom’s upcoming move to memory care.
Sometimes, all we can do is look out for each other. That’s our action for tomorrow.
with love,
L