Friday Open Thread (with gifts)

Hello friends!

Wow this was a hard week! But today, for me, has been good, and one of the good things was a brief, glancing, checkpoint-braving visit (at a distance) from my sister, making it the first time I’ve seen her unmediated by a screen in over a month, and as if that weren’t gift enough, she brought me a bunch of homemade cookies, and I spent the afternoon absolutely giddy with joy at having chatted with her from 6 feet away.

So today I’m asking, what’s a beautiful gift you’ve been given? Recently, anciently, objects or experiences — what has someone given you that was a thing of beauty and a joy forever?

Meanwhile my gift to all of you is this ludicrous socially-distant selfie taken from an angle that is a) absolutely terrible for me and b) makes it look like my sister is tiny and standing on my head!

Love to you all,

Amal