My Best Sale

I had a long day at the craft fair.  After being on my feet, and smiling and talking all day, I was exhausted.  Towards the end of the day, I felt a little like I was on auto pilot, and it wasn’t helped by the fact that so far, I hadn’t been selling very well.  Despite my less than stellar sales, I was trying to keep a positive attitude.  It did seem like my booth was being received well, and everyone that I talked to commented on how nice my paintings were, or how much they liked my hats.  They just weren’t buying any of them.

Towards the end of the day, I was having a hard time sticking to my look-on-the-bright-side motto.  I was starting to seriously question whether my choice to do the show was simply foolish, and wondered if all my hard work was for naught.  Rather depressing stuff, really.  Then a young girl walked into my booth with her grandmother.  She seemed to be about thirteen, and was quiet and polite.  I slapped my happy face back on, and greeted them with a smile.  I suggested that she might find a pretty sign to hang in her bedroom, and she shook her head.  “It’s for my friend,” she told me.  “She’s leaving.”  I was immediately heart-sick for this young girl, who was loosing her best friend. 

She took her time and selected a bright and colorful sign that stated “Follow your heart.”  I wrapped it up for her, and thanked her profusely, adding that I thought it was a wonderful present.  As she walked away, I noticed my mood had lifted.  It wasn’t a huge sale, but it was my best.  I pictured the young girl saying goodbye to her friend who was moving away, and thought of my sign being the reminder of their friendship.  It moved me almost to tears.  I didn’t make another sale, and maybe I won’t tomorrow.  But when I think of the sign hanging in a new bedroom, somewhere far away, and the bond between friends that it represents, I will remember that I love what I do, and that is beautiful.