Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Our brilliant friend Michael found out this week that he was one of the winners of the Emerging Voices Playwright Competition. His scene “Maybe,” part of his larger The Quick Brown Fox Jumped over the Lazy Dogs, deals with all that two words can — and can’t — say. While this was not the best staging I’ve seen of his work, the Lincoln Theater was a posh setting for it, and Michael well deserved the honor.

2. As I was hoofing it up to U Street this evening, I passed some elementary school kids getting out of their afterschool program. The eldest was probably in sixth grade, but the youngest was a bitsy little thing, possibly pre-K aged. When the kids decided to race from one end of the block to the other, the older kids had the best advantage, of course. The tiny girl gave it her all, though, dragging her pink Elmo rolly bag behind her, her stripey hat’s huge pompom bopping with each step.

3. Dark tree branches underline the snow as if to remind us, this is what’s important. This is what’s important. This is what’s important!