The Soup of Human Kindness

Cousin Jan.

What can I say? She is such a good friend to us.

She's the one who lent us her house and her car in Belgium for two weeks - we had a simply unforgettable time there, thanks to her, living in a Belgian neighborhood and getting a taste of everyday life in that lovely little country.

As if that were not enough, she drives down frequently from her current home in Petaluma to swim with me in the Plunge (she's a much better swimmer than I; she keeps me motivated), is always up for an adventure, and frequently finds me funny and delightful things at garage sales.

When we returned home from two weeks back east, we arrived too late to pick Cora up from the dog spa where she was romping with her pals, so Jan collected her for us and delivered her home. So welcoming to come home to ecstatic tail wags instead of a cold, still house!

And Jan left a bouquet of flowers, too, bright sunflowers and fall-toned mums. This gal thinks of everything.

After the greetings were accomplished, we read Jan's note directing us to the fridge where she had stashed a big sandwich for our dinner and a bowl of tomato chipotle soup, plus an assortment of cookies, all from Whole Foods. The soup was warm in more ways than one - quite spicy and so nice not to have to go in search of dinner after our long flight.

My mother used to quote Shakespeare about people she liked, saying that they were full of the milk of human kindness. In Jan's case, it's the soup of human kindness, warm, generous and filling the heart with smiles.