When I baked a pie a couple weeks back and posted about my brother’s mental health crisis, I was using baking as an outlet for feeling helpless under the circumstances. We ate the pie here in Austin, of course, but I wished the intention had translated to more healing for my brother in North Carolina and not just channeling my desire to do something.

To remedy this, I set to emailing a friend who’s opened up her home to me on book tour, who’s included me in her books and just generally kicks ass in the hip homie department. Ashley lives in the same city as my brother and graciously accepted the charge of making a pie for him. This pie.

Photo courtesy of the lovely @smallmeasure instagram feed

This manifestation from intention to action in the form of pie for my brother is such a gift. I’m touched by Ashley’s willingness to bake not one, but two pies (we had a minor incident, a 2-yo countertop pie discovery incident with pie #1) and her husband Glenn’s time spent out of his day to bring it to my brother.

Pie-it-forward y’all. I’m taking comfort in how these acts of kindness, little things we can do for each other, pad the universe with extra sharing and love, which I think we all need more of.