As I sit down to write tonight, the skies open up and rain pours down. The streetlight silhouettes the deluge and the scent of fresh, earthy mud wafts in from our open window. Thunder rumbles in the distance and closer to us, the rain bounces off the window well railing and the tree leaves. Cars sploosh past. Our Burrow feels nice and cozy and the time seems perfect to think back on three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Mac’s memorial lunch is the sort of event everyone hopes for at such an occasion. 70 or so people turned out to remember a woman with a big smile and a bigger heart. Whether they called her mother, grandmother, neighbor, friend, or whatnot, it was clear that Mac had touched each and every one of us in a deep way. As loved ones got up to eulogize her, I found myself, eyes wet, nodding along with many of their comments. A people person, Mac would have had a ball — and would have loved the afternoon’s festivities. No one wants to lose a loved one, but I hope Sam and his family’s pain was tempered by seeing what a profound effect Mac had on everyone she came in contact with.

2. Memorializing a friend’s grandmother hammers home how fragile one’s family is. I spend the rest of the weekend hanging out on my parents’ deck and in Gramma’s bedroom. Sunday and Monday were quiet and uneventful — and perfect.

3. Amani and I had dinner tonight and followed it up with ice cream, which we took down to the Circle. While sitting next to the fountain and chatting, we suddenly realize that five dancers are suddenly standing up and doing a routine. It wasn’t quite a flash mob — more like five friends suddenly got up to perform their dance at the urging of their larger party — but it was so quintessentially part of city life that Amani and I both felt pleased to be part of it, even if only tangentially.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world this week?