Day 81: Bob

Marionberry Pie

This morning I was invited to a brunch put on by my friends Mark and Leslie. There was a wonderful assortment of friends and foods and we settled in for a nice visit. A short time later, our friend Katrina arrived. It had been a while since we’d spoken and so we sat together and chatted for a while.

Katrina told me that she had learned some things recently that had helped her. Then she mentioned spending time with her neighbor Bob earlier today and how much his words had meant to her. I know what she means; it’s really nice when a friend helps you just by being there with you and listening to your story. Sometimes we need someone to point out things to us that are so obvious to everyone else but that we seem unable to see.

Immediately I wanted to make a pie for Bob for sharing his wisdom and compassion with Katrina, who then shared hers with me. I asked her if that would be possible and she thought it was and we made arrangements for me to deliver the pie later in the afternoon. When I arrived at Katrina’s house we discovered that Bob had gone out for a while. She called him (having just been given his cell number!) and told him that there was a surprise waiting at home for him.

Soon Bob came home and we walked to his house with the pie. He asked why I’d made him a pie and I tried to briefly explain my project and mentioned that I was making a pie everyday. “Everyday?” he asked. “Well, today is day 81” I replied. Bob stopped in his tracks and said, “Did you say 81? Did you know that I am 81 years old?”

No, I did not – but I love that Bob’s age and my pie gift to him had the same number. It’s the little coincidences like that that keep me thinking that this project is divinely inspired – and I am so very glad to be on this journey.

Tags: Bob, compassion, friends, Katrina, marionberry pie, Mark and Leslie, wisdom