My neighbor is from Australia. She has an accent. She kisses us on the cheek when we greet. She cooks authentic Australian cuisine. She loves to use the word lovely. Her husband is American. He enjoys a good cup of tea. Their son is adorable - he has almond shaped eyes.

They invited us to dinner one night. We had lots of wine and vegetarian perfection. The conversation rolled out like a well-rehearsed play. & there was one thing that stuck me about this authentic Australian woman and her American husband and their almond-shape eyed son:

They care.

They care to invite three 22 year-old girls over to dinner. They care about our lives. They care about who we are and what we have going on. They care about what makes us happy and what makes us sad. They care that we are enjoying ourselves and that we are doing well. They care to help, they care to smile. They care to cook and they care to share.

They invited us to dinner, but more than that - they invited us into their life. & it was at that moment that it dawned on me: relationships are the most magical simplicity. A glass of wine, a warm meal and a warmer smile: authentic australian cuisine can open your eyes to life's simple magic.