I remember a couple years ago, I made a batch of soup for a friend who had a baby. She returned my plastic containers to me not long after. Side note: when you bring a meal to someone, if possible bring it in a container that doesn’t need to be returned. The last thing someone who’s sick, stressed, or caring for a newborn needs is to keep track of Tupperware.

I should have taken my own advice, of course, but this particular time that faux pas turned out well for me. My friend returned those containers stocked with her own homemade soup. It was an unnecessary but delightful surprise.