At 6 pm, while I was shutting down my work computer, ready to head home, my cell phone unexpectedly rings. A friend calls explaining that she just needed to talk to someone as she had a trying day. As she shares I hear her voice became less shaky. However. through all the words I could hear the words she was not uttering:

This is hard and never ending.

I am weary.

I am scared.

In a moment of inspiration and grace, I asked her “What are you doing for dinner? I am hungry! I want to treat you. Consider it an early birthday present.”

We ran through possibilities of where to eat – ruling out restaurants that are closed Monday evenings.

In a spark of inspiration, I asked her “How about Ahn and Chi?”

She resoundingly said, “Yes.”

We meet up at the restaurant and are fortunately swiftly seated in the patio. There are always line ups at this restaurant because it received a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation – an award well deserved.

The food is scrumptious – light, flavorful, a symphony of flavors dancing along our palate.

We left sated: physically full on nourishing food and our soul plumped up by companionship and a long lived friendship.