One recent Friday morning, I was running around hurriedly completing my long mental list before the weekend (pick up dog food, buy groceries, get gas, etc) and I stopped at a local flower stand to choose some flowers for Shabbat. I was frazzled and tired, and quickly chose some pink lilies because I know they are my daughter’s favorite. The owner saw me and me and said “cash only!” And unfortunately I didn’t have any. So I gently put the flowers back and prepared to move on, saying I only had a credit card. She picked the flowers back up out of the water, handed them to me, and smiled. “I want you to have them. Make your Shabbat table beautiful and special, and have a peaceful weekend. You can come back and pay another time.” I tried to decline but she held my hands, looked into my eyes, and insisted. Standing in the crowded market, we had a special moment that I will never forget. The following Friday, I paid her back, and she had already forgotten that I owed her money. It was such a beautiful reminder of the impact you can make in someone’s day, in a simple but kind gesture.

-Celia Lerch