I think about experiences that touched me, small stuff like a friend bringing us snacks for our 8-hour drive from Lincoln to Chicago for my father-in-law's funeral, which was the start of a lifelong friendship or my sister sending homemade Christmas cookies , my grandmother's jelly rolls, the first year we lived 1500 miles away from family and I was 8 months pregnant and terribly homesick. Little kindnesses can have a big impact on our lives, and I hope by telling my stories, I can encourage my readers to reflect on their own blessings or to think of ways to bless others.