Tis the Season....

I ventured out in the cold and blustery day here in NJ to do some Holiday Shopping. It was my first and hopefully, last day of shopping! I wanted to tell you about a chance encounter I had while purchasing a gift for my mother at the mall.

Each year at the local mall, crafters set up tables in the main corridor and sell their hand-crafted items. I absolutely love to look at and purchase hand-crafted items. I am a lover of craft fairs and now also enjoy purusing the items on etsy.com. I came across a jewelry crafter. Knowing my mother loves earrings (especially ones made from stone) I decide to take a look. The items the woman had were beautiful. I found a perfect pair of earrings for my mother -- made from Moreno glass from Venice, Italy.

When I brought the item up to the crafter, she exclaimed that I picked such a nice pair of earrings. I asked her if she created them herself -- she said her entire family located in Ecuador creates all of the jewelry on display. There was a lot of items there and the work was remarkable. She told me that years ago they purchased Moreno glass from Venice and continue to create pieces of jewelry from the very same piece of glass. I was amazed. Such resourcefulness and lovely work to boot!

She told me after tomorrow she is heading back home to Ecuador to spend some time with her family. As she was boxing up my item, she asked me if I wanted a box for my second item (I couldn't resist and bought myself a pendant necklace made from the same stone). I told her No, thank you. She smiled and said that was very eco-friendly of me and called me "La amiga de planeta" which means: The friend of the planet. We then chatted some more - about Puerto Rico and Mangoes and future craft fairs. It was such a nice encounter and it was the highlight of my day.

I realized later, had I been in a rush like we sometimes are -- I would not have taken the time to chat with this woman and what a shame that would have been! We are always in such a rush to get things done, in every day life and especially during the hustle bustle of the holiday season. Remember to take the time to just enjoy your friends, family and those once-in-a-lifetime encounters.

Tis the Season to take the time to stop and smell the flowers Happy Holidays!