The picture above is one small example of how even fleeting moments can bring a lifetime of joy. All throughout my childhood, my mom collected decorative thimbles. She kept them on display, but safely out of reach in what, to me, might as well have been a treasure chest. I named my favorite thimble the "Purple Lady." My mom has never been the type to keep many look-but-don't-touch items in her home (at least not when I was growing up), but her thimbles were special. For that reason, I was always so excited when she allowed me to hold the Purple Lady. I still can't quite articulate the emotions provoked when the cool porcelain touched the palm of my hand.

In 2011 on my wedding day, after almost 30 years of admiration, my mom gifted me with the Purple Lady as my "something old." I had tears in my eyes as I placed her in my wedding bouquet. At the end of the long day, after the reception was over and our shoes were kicked aside, I lifted my bouquet and the Purple Lady was gone. For a moment, maybe a few, I agonized over what a mistake it was to trust me with such a treasure. Fortunately, I remembered that our photographers, Mike and Lola, took this beautiful picture earlier that morning; I smiled. 

I share this story because it illustrates how sometimes it's the mistakes we make or the memories that seem insignificant to others that teach us the most valuable lessons. When I look at my Purple Lady, I am reminded that every moment is precious; she belonged to me for only one day. She exemplifies how each kind word we utter and every smile or small gesture we make can have a long lasting positive impact. The best things we do in this life are not a result of training or education, rather, they come to us in the moments when we allow ourselves to embrace the act of  just being. One of my all time favorite things about my work is experiencing the moment when the person across from me realizes that the power that fuels positive change, is, and has always been, within them!