Crate&Barrels of Kindness

I climbed the steps of our front door with a heavy sigh. It had been a long day and I was fatigued. As I reached for my keys, a white box caught the corner of my eye. It was perched on my doormat and glowed. For a brief moment, I forgot how much I hated our doormat- with its braided hair matted like a bird’s nest- and read the black letters printed along side the box. Crate&Barrel.

I cradled the box in my tired arms and opened the door. JD, I asked out loud while standing in the empty dinning room, did you see this box? No, he hadn’t. We stand at the table and open the box together. As we part the box’s lips, a white card- like a little tongue- was laying on top of the wrapped items. I opened the card and read aloud:

To Jazzy and JD
Thanks for such a great night. Let’s get together again a break some glasses.
Love,
Vince and Marina

And just like that, my day brightened.

Vince and Marina are our dear friends, with whom we had the pleasure to dine with a few days earlier. They’re just about to graduate from USC Medical School, so while we haven’t been able to hang out as much as we’d like, when we do, it’s a great time.

Last week, we went to dinner and finished the night at our place. With the fireplace ablaze, discussions set sail. By the time we looked at the time it was past midnight and we found ourselves entranced by the sparks dancing up the chimney. Just as Vince and Marina were about to leave, JD stood upright and accidentally kicked his glass, sending broken pieces sliding across our floor. Which brings me to yesterday evening and finding a package from them.

In the white box was a beautiful set of glasses. Like the kind of glasses I’d only use if guests came over, the type I’d never buy. But this is precisely what made the gift so thoughtful. They didn’t merely send a gift, they sent kindness.

Crates&Barrels of kindness.