I stood on my toes and peered into a basket full of crystals with big curious eyes.

I was five years old and sure that I’d never seen anything more fascinating. The woman at the register watched me carefully sift through the group of stones with my tiny hands. She looked down at me and said, “You can take one home if you’d like.”

I smiled and reached for the first one that caught my attention, a small amethyst with jagged edges and a smooth bottom. I said thank you and left the store with my mother.

As we made our way back to the car my excitement got the best of me; I walked too fast and stumbled on the concrete. The amethyst slipped out of my hands and broke into pieces on the ground. Hot tears skipped off my sun-kissed cheeks.

A man with long blonde dreads in his hair walked towards me and bent down to pick up the pieces. He looked in my eyes and quietly said to me “Don’t cry, sweetie. Some things are just meant to be shared.”  I handed him the largest piece that had broken off of the stone as I held the other piece close. He smiled at me and with an unspoken understanding he stood up and walked away.

I never saw that man again, but his smile and energy were unforgettable. My amethyst has stayed with me since that day. It stands as a reminder that some things break and you simply can’t let it shake you. I still visit Dancing Cranes Imports (the store where this event occurred) and feel the beautiful crystals in my hands. It will forever be one of my favorite places to be.

That was the turning point in my life where I discovered the art of sharing the things we hold near and dear to our hearts. We can only lose the things we hold onto.

Relephant:

For My Daughter: 15 Life Lessons I Wish I Had Received Growing Up.

Author: Bailey Mikell

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Author’s Own