Found: Kindness in an Envelope

A Surprising Act of Kindness at the Save the Boundary Waters Gala

HIGHLIGHTS

Recently, I attended the Save the Boundary Waters Gala in Minneapolis. To be honest, I wasn’t overly excited about going. I grew up in an inner-ring suburb, and while I used to love trips into the city, the last five years have changed a lot. Some of it hard to see.

When we arrived, all the close parking lots were already full. We circled a few times before finally finding a spot on the street several blocks away in front of DeLaSalle High School, home of the “Islanders.” Not exactly convenient, but we were grateful to find anything nearby.

Still, once we got to the venue, my hesitation melted away. The setting was stunning, the event beautifully put together, and the company we kept was even better. We had the pleasure of spending the evening with the folks from Cast Outdoors Adventures Inc. and the owners of North of North Resort—truly outstanding people.

But as these things often go, the night took a small turn.

When we got back to the car to head home, I reached for my driver’s license but it was nowhere to be found. We tore the car apart, retraced steps in our minds, checked pockets, bags, under seats. Nothing. The sinking feeling in my stomach confirmed what I didn’t want to admit: it was gone.

It was late (way past my bedtime!) and we had a long drive home on a weeknight. The stress started to creep in during that quiet hour-long ride. The next morning, I turned to Google (as one does) and found the standard advice: request a duplicate license and file a police report. Simple enough, but my brain wouldn’t stop spiraling through worst-case scenarios. Identity theft. Long lines at the DMV. The inconvenience of it all.

I tried to remind myself that in the grand scheme of things, this was a minor hiccup. No one was hurt. It was just a lost card. But that didn’t stop the weight of it from hanging over my head.

And then, something unexpected happened.

A week later, after getting back from a walk through the neighborhood, I stopped by the mailbox to grab the usual stack of flyers and bills. Nestled in the middle of the pile was an envelope addressed to me—from DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis.

Curious and confused, I tore it open—and there it was. My driver’s license.

No note, no explanation. Just someone who had found it, taken the time to look me up, and gone out of their way to return it. I stood on the driveway smiling like a kid who just found a surprise gift.

In a world where it’s easy to focus on what’s going wrong, this simple act reminded me that there are still so many people quietly doing good.

So to whoever at DeLaSalle High School found my license and made sure it got back to me—thank you. You turned a stressful week into a reminder that kindness still shows up, sometimes in the most unexpected envelopes.

Go Islanders.

With heartfelt appreciation,

The Highline Admin Team