Good Sunday, Reader. Today I’m writing from the passenger seat of our red truck that we’ve named ‘Rosalita.’ We’re heading home from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where our family packed into a cabin that we’ve named ‘Skyward.’ Every year around this time, we spend a few days playing in the snow; this year, we built a giant snow fort, which we named ‘911 SnoCat Road.’ 

We apparently really like to name our inanimate objects. 

Now unfortunately, we weren’t able to take my dog Hank with us this year.  So I checked out the website rover.com.  I’d heard good things from friends who had used the service.  Essentially, the site links dog-loving folks with dog-owning folks who need someone to either walk or stay with their dog.  

The trust that goes into this exchange is amazing. 

Enter Amanda.  We found her on rover.com.  We liked her profile, so she came to the house to meet the dog.  (She showed up alone, with no way of knowing if we were criminals.  For all she knew, we could have locked her in the basement with a bucket of fish heads.)  But she took the first step towards trusting us. 

And so now it was our turn to take a trusting step.  On Thursday, we left Amanda—a total stranger—alone in our house for 3 days.  We knew nothing more about her than that she apparently liked dogs.  She could have robbed us of everything we owned! 

(Read: all of our priceless Craiglist furniture, used books, and hand-me-down clothes).  Still… 

I’m now home from the drive.  The house is spotless.  Dishes are clean. Amanda left a kind note.  Hank was freshly brushed and acted as though we never left. 

I’ve heard the expression “You can’t trust anybody” thrown around a lot these days.  But the truth is, you can trust most people.  I feel so positive about humanity when we take these chances and put our faith in one another to act decently and honestly, and then it all pans out.  I do believe that it is this kind of trust that has the potential to make our planet a better place to live. 

And it is also the kind of trust that allows us to take sweet vacations to 911 SnoCat Road.  Until next Sunday, Reader. Have a great week.  -Em