I once knew this guy. He was considered to be -- and was in my own experience -- very generous. He would easily give of his time and business expertise in order to help anyone, friend or stranger. It even jazzed him up to talk about how much he loved to give. He became animated and emotional when he spoke about how great it felt to serve and be in community in this way.

Hello dearest pinkies! I thought of you all today when I heard about a poem by Mary Oliver, "The Summer Day," long a mainstay of college admissions processes and orientations. (I've pasted it at the bottom of this post.) My sister, Weez, tells me that it is my great hope in life to be employed as a professional student. She's right.