The young Vietnamese girl walked outside, visibly upsetting Julie, my manicurist. Julie whispered sharply to another co-worker, in Vietnamese, to prevent me and all others from eavesdropping on their gossip. Although I couldn't understand her whispers, her body language and tone shouted how put off she was about the whole thing. I started to get a little put off myself when at one point as Julie was careening to get a look outside, she polished my finger instead of my nail. Not missing a beat, she absently wiped off the polish and got up to get a closer look, leaving me there sitting with 8 out of 10 nails polished.
Soon, Julie came back and finished my nails. She focused a little more and did a good job. I never found out what was so scandalous that they had to whisper their grievances. In an instant, I realized I didn't care. I let go of my frustration with her distraction. I let go of her discomfort. I embraced the moment of relaxation and getting my nails done.
At the drying station a beautiful woman in her sixties smiled her way over to me. Instantly, I knew we would connect. She had a newspaper in her hands. I asked her if there was anything good in the news.
"I don't care about the news," she blurted, "the paper is protecting the treasure underneath."
She lifted the newspaper to unveiled the treasure, a Dr. Seuss children's book on learning French.
"Leave it to Dr. Seuss to make learning French fun! Every sentence in French rhymes with the English translation!"
I was delighted.
"I'm going to St. Bart's. They speak French there."
"That's wonderful!" I exclaimed. "How exciting for you. Thank you for sharing the thrill of this moment with me."
We went on to talk about her trepidations and anticipations about her trip. We connected. We laughed. It was lovely. By letting go of the beauty shop drama, I was able to bridge the distance with another. I found hidden treasures along the way.
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