Last weekend, while our village graciously tagged in and loved our babies for a few days, Christopher and I snuck away to celebrate ten years of us. I wanted warm sunshine; he wanted good food. We settled for both.
Unfamiliar with the area, my groom reached out to his old buddy for restaurant recommendations — the kind of old buddy you don’t see often enough or talk to often enough, yet your friendship was solidified years ago, so time and space are inconsequential. He offered several must-try options, and an authentic Italian ristorante ultimately scored our dinner reservation.
Buon appetito!
The cuisine was scrumptious. We indulged. We toasted to ten more years and ten more years and ten more years. All was well.
Then the bill came. Actually, it didn’t. The bill never came. Tucked inside the bill holder was a piece of paper.
“HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY — MATT —”
The old buddy.
Unbeknownst to us, he called the restaurant and completely covered the cost of our meal. Every bite, every penny.
I mean, wow.
It was a gesture we will surely never forget. A beautiful reminder that humankind has kind humans, fueling our fire to be one of them.
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
Thank you, Matt. Your generosity left its mark. Thank you, village. There is a zero percent chance we could function without you. And thank you, husband. I love you infinity six hundred million.