Hello!

My family and friends have long teased me about my knowing someone wherever I go. It's become quite a joke. One of my favorite encounters was on the street in the Dominican Republic. I came face-to-face with a young man who was working as a private security guard. Neither of us could break eye contact. The answer came to each of us at the same instant... he had been the bell hop at the hotel where my church group spends the last couple days of our mission trip. "Marta!" he exclaimed. "Jose!" I replied. Much laughter followed and we spent a few minutes reconnecting.

Well, last night was another of those encounters. My daughters and I went to a restaurant a few miles from home for a casual dinner before we ran some errands. As I slid into the booth, I noticed a man looking at me but I couldn't place him. About the same time I became aware of a man rounding the corner and touching my daughter on the shoulder. Startled, we looked up to discover my brother Dave, in town for a quick series of meetings. The guy staring at me was a co-worker of Dave's who I had met before and to whom Dave had said, "That's my sister and my nieces, watch this!" Ironically, the restaurant is called "Famous Dave's."

It's these kinds of events that keep me in line... you just never know who you'll run into! :-)