Lunch with Rebecca

I had lunch with Rebecca Darling. We met at the La Casita -- only two blocks from her house. The way it happened -- I had just left the Riverside Health Club, I was driving over to the hospital to go to work.

But I was hungry, and I remembered what my sister had told me -- I needed to shake up my routine a little bit.

Plus -- visions of enchiladas had been dancing around my head this past week.

It all came together as I approached La Casita. I made a quick right turn into a residential street. I parked the car. I grabbed my baby blue sweater and my Pendleton wool shirt and walked over to the restaurant.

They have very nice booths at La Casita, and I was hungry. It was then that I remembered to call Rebekkah Darling -- she lives only blocks away and she was happy to hear from me and not occupied, so she came right over.

I peeked out the window to watch and notice her when she began approaching the restaurant. I wanted to notice any change in her appearance - you can tell a lot by the way someone walks.

No, she looked good, but her hair was a little different.

So, we had lunch and shared some anxiety -- it was small pains, quickly laughed away.

But she said she hadn't been out of the house much lately, so we addressed that concern in a more deliberate way. I proposed some transitional steps she might take to bring her more out into the world. We went through it step-by-step, and it made sense to both of us -- that it was time for her to be getting out of the house more often, and mixing it up with people.

It was time to do that. So I suggested she come to watch the debate tonight, as there would be a good crowd of people -- many people that she knew, many people that liked her. It would be easy and welcoming.

At first she thought the debate was too conflictive and contrary and argumentative. I said yes, so for sure you shouldn't watch it alone. It would be much better to watch the debate with a nice, warm group of people. Then the conflictive part of it will not matter.

So, we had a good lunch, talking about things like that, and the enchilada plate was excellent. I left a large tip -- I usually do. I am so grateful for the food and service, even if I am paying for it.