it’s been a wild and wacky time around here lately.  i’ve been on medications that play crazy games with your head and body (and believe me, my coworkers and family can attest to that), and then this week one of our two cars died a peaceful, if not quite anticipated, death.  she didn’t owe us anything, but we are missing her right now, and we’re shopping for her replacement.

that car was given to us by a couple who had loaned it to us when our (at the time) only vehicle needed MAJOR repairs that were going to take awhile.  when we went to return it, they had decided that we should keep it – that, or they were going to donate it somewhere.  so we gratefully accepted the gift of that vehicle.  yes, it was an ’89, but it was in pretty decent shape for it’s age and it got better highway mileage by FAR than my ’02 Grand Am.  we have been thankful for that vehicle many times, and more than that, thankful for the generous spirit of the couple who gave us that car.  trust me, this story is leading somewhere beyond our search for a new-to-us car!

so lately around here we’ve been thinking about, talking about, and trying to practice, extravagant love.  acts of generosity that are surprising, thoughtful, and sometimes overwhelming.  we’ve had fun coming up with some ideas and carrying them out.  but today, i was on the receiving end of such an act.

i was working on the drive thru window at Starbucks today, which is generally a fun experience, getting to connect with customers while they wait for their drinks.  a vehicle at the window towards the end of my shift today contained a man and his sister, who was visiting him from San Francisco.  as she handed him money to pay for her beverage, i noticed that she had a really cool ring on her left hand.  it was a design that i’ve seen around for a few years and really loved – but jewelry is never really on the top of my list of things to buy.  i commented on the ring and said i thought it was really beautiful, then turned to my register to get her change.  as i handed her change out the window, her brother was handing this ring to me saying “My sister really wants you to have this.”  From within the car, i could hear her saying “i just bought it at Kohl’s, it’s nothing really expensive, i want you to have it.”

i protested because honestly it made me really uncomfortable to accept something like that from her, and we’re really not supposed to accept things like that from customers.  but she insisted and i felt like it would then be rude to insist back that i couldn’t accept it.  so i did, with much thanks.  and it is beautiful, even if it’s a $20 ring from Kohls… it’s beautiful and i love it.  and i’ll never forget the lady from SF who decided that a barista at a Starbucks in upstate NY needed something beautiful in her life this morning.

i don’t really know WHY she decided to do that, but i have to say it speaks to a generous heart on her part.  so, lady from San Francisco, who will probably never read my blog, thank you for doing something beautiful and practicing what was, to me, extravagant love.