DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL FOR SOMEONE ELSE TODAY!

Years ago, I was having my nails done at one of the ritzy titzy 55 salons that carried my greeting cards.

"This is the new girl"the manager said by way of introduction. No name. "She doesn't speak English."

The manicurist blinked back tears. She wasn't allergic to any chemicals, because I don't wear acrylic or gel or whatever you call pretend nails. Why so sad? So quiet.

With my limited Spanish and at the risk of leaving the salon with polish on only one hand, a bit messy polish at that because Maria was trembling, I gasped at what I could understand of her story. Her four year old son was in the hospital.

"Donde?" I asked. "Where?" was one of my few essential Spanish words.

She showed me a little paper.

"Vamanos" I said. Another Spanish word, thanks to Cowboy Westerns.

A little 4 year old boy from Bolivia in a hospital needs his mommy more than I needed nails polished.

The cold hearted salon manager said if Maria left before 7:00 not to come back, and kept babbling about how immigrants were so ungrateful for the opportunities in America.

We didn't have any rapid transit, and very poor bus transportation. It was pouring rain. I was glad I could drive her. Then help her with the bureaucracy at the hospital.

Her son was so scared. But he'd be okay. I'm not sure what happened, but Maria and her son came to spend the night, and never left. As I say in my book, "Don't ask why. Say thank you."

Maria immediately started helping - cleaning, using the adding machine- numbers are the same in both languages, cooking, and to my astonishment...at Christmas...had made a Kisses angel doll, and embroidered my characters on a scarf and hat.

Imagine that. The sewing evolved into a little business.

She taught other women how to make dolls by hand, and my company would deliver the materials so they could work at home. We had cottage industry making dolls and crafts in 55 homes. There was TV coverage and who knows how many other people started doing the same - this was 30 to 40 years before Etsy or the Internet or crowdfunding as we know it today.

Various designs and quotes of mine earn an income for many artists today, but just a fraction of what I envision. We need to convert more of my infringements into legitimate licensing opportunities or collaborations - especially with the community service and initiatives we've supported throughout the years.

But isn't it cool that one kind gesture could lead to all of this?

Recently a little boy I've never seen before in my life, just came up and gave me the biggest sweetest hug ever when I was getting my nails done. I didn't take this one home, but he reminded me of Maria, and the dolls, and the 55 stay at home mom's creating KISSES.

As Maria and her son illustrated one of my most popular quotes which says

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to Dance in the rain.

"La vida no se trata de esperar a que pase la tormenta ... Se trata de aprender a bailar bajo la lluvia" ?1979 Vivian Greene

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?2017 Vivian Greene   Invest in Love   wwwVivianGreene.com