Today in the Hollow, we had a knock on the door. Two of the neighborhood children were doing what children for decades have been doing in the summer: selling lemonade. I think they knew we would be supportive and therefore were confident in their approach.

"Would you like to buy some lemonade?" they quoted together.
"Sure", said my push-over husband, "how much?"
"One penny" was the reply...again said together.

Although a push-over, he is not the most generous on occasion. He pulled a quarter and a penny from his pocket and deposited them in Ella's cup. This was a "problem" for Ella. She carefully explained that they were sharing the money equally and that they could not split a quarter. As I approached the door, I immediately knew that the solution was to go get another quarter and a penny and deposit it in Ian's cup.

Upon my return, Ella made sure all the change was exactly the same and then asked if I wanted a cup of lemonade, too. I assured her I did. As she handed me the cup, I was instructed that she had put a fresh leaf of mint in my lemonade, but "make sure you don't eat it." The lemonade was delicious and the mint infusion was delightful. As I caressed the leaf, the fragence of the oil touched my nose and I had to smile. I was dutiful in following her instructions. I didn't eat the leaf and I'm sure it was sound advice. At age 6, how did Ella know that small surprise would brighten my day?

My mint leaf "gift"...left in the cup as instructed...

A few minutes later, my phone rang. It was Ella's mother calling to apologize that the children had bothered us with solicitation. She was mortified that her daughter was in her swimming suit and looked like an orphan child. She wanted to know if Ella had asked for a large sum of money in exchange for the lemonade and if she needed to return the money. As we visited, she informed me that Ella must really like me to make sure I had the mint leaf in my drink. It was a warming thought.

This is not the first encounter we have had with this effervescent girl. Two weeks ago, she decided (probably with the same side-kick) to re-gift a loaf of bread nestled on my neighbor's porch to me. I called her mother to thank her for her thoughtfulness and discovered that mom wasn't the gifter. We never found out who delivered the gift to the neighbor, but the gift was enjoyed all the same. Another time, Ella took some treats out of our freezer in the garage (yes, a trusting neighborhood here), came to our front door and gave us a "gift". It took me a couple of days to figure out that I had essentially provided the gift to myself.

Sometimes, the surprise gifts give us great pleasure. I found a cupcake kit that helped me create a gift for my neighbor up the street. I am supposed to be a "caretaker" for this woman. My role is to get to know her likes and interests, keep up to date on her family, and uplift and inspire her with spiritual messages. We have planned lunches and I have shared my love of flowers with a beautiful arrangement for her on a couple of occasions. This week, she will receive a pre-4th of July treat since I know she will be busy next week celebrating with her family. I had a smile inside my heart as I made beautiful cupcakes...

vanilla cake in festive paper cups,

red juicy raspberries

and intense blueberries to adorn the tops.

Wrapped in wax paper and tied with a patriotic bow, they are sure to inspire a smile on the receiving end. Hopefully, she will also know of my love for her.

Isn't that what we want summer to be about? Lemonade stands or doorstop delivery with a hint of mint? Gifts that let others know we care? For me, this was a memory day!