Tonight, I met up with a grad school friend’s mom for dinner at Straits. Over garlic noodles, pickled ginger salad and chili-laced long beans, we talked culture, literature and life direction. Honestly, I knew going into it that this would be a significant conversation. She teaches American Lit. at a school in Texas and her thesis in grad school was on Don Quixote. What is there not to love about this woman? Not to mention she gave birth to the amazing Stephanie.
But as the lighting at the restaurant kept dimming and candle snuffed out completely, we talked with each other for hours about the cross-hairs of life. My virtual map was not only affirmed, but got her excited. She said as we were taking the elevator downstairs that she had been praying about the possibility that God might have brought her out here to meet me. It was that kind of evening where we both left full- stomachs with good food and minds with good fodder. Then, on the way to the car, we talked about Li-Young Lee and his role in my thesis, evidence that more conversations (so many more) could resume on literature which we barely discussed. I love literature and geeking out with friends who extrapolate the nuances of romanticism in Don Quixote or plain speech and friendly manner of Billy Collins. Fabulous. We hugged like old friends by the end of the evening. I left grateful for the wisdom of Him who brought her out to me through an International Studies conference. How great is that!