Nights like this

Some friends and I had set aside this evening to get together without setting firm plans.  As the day came closer, I reached out to finalize plans and one by one, they all bowed out.  This is the third attempt in two months to try and get together with these friends.  It looks like a pattern that doesn't feel too good.  But that is not what I want to write about today.

You see, I took this free evening as an opportunity.  I have been wanting to go back to that really nice Japanese restaurant for quite some time now.  So on my way there, I passed through the park and admired the new leaves on the trees and the blooming irises.  There was a giddiness in me that bubbled over.

At the restaurant, I ordered the sushi appetizer with smoke that left me in awe and I tried a new cocktail with ceremonial grade matcha in it (whatever that is) and I took the waitress's suggestion for a chicken dish that was recently added to their menu.  Everything was so beautiful in its presentation.  Every bite and sip was like inhaling a little bit of joy.  It wasn't just a meal.  It was an experience.

Then I walked home and stopped in the package room to get the items I had ordered online earlier this week - a new dress and a new jumper that may be my favorite new outfit.  It's colorful.  It's funky.  And it is so me.

And the evening ended with a call from my parents.  I feel so grateful for the depth that has developed in our relationships since the divorce.  They have not only been a solid support every single step of the way but we have also grown so much closer.  I enjoy their conversations so much.

So as I sit here enjoying the night air that fills my apartment, reflecting on the night, I can't help but smile.  It almost feels like more joy than is possible in a single night.  I'm going to hold onto this feeling.