Having the blues, I was driving aimlessly. Unexpectedly, no one remembered my birthday. I decided to take myself out for a birthday celebration to have breakfast by the time I arrived at my destination.

On arrival, I followed a couple of ladies into the cafe and waited to get a menu. One lady asked the waiter to help find one table for them. But the cafe was rather full then. There was only one left in the corner. Then, the lady asked me if I got my own table. I said, “I think you could get your own and I could wait for a smaller one, as I’m here to celebrate my birthday alone.” The lady immediately suggested that we share a table together. At that moment, I thought that was a lovely idea and nodded my head.

I went to pay for my meal and a drink. But I was told it had been paid for. On sitting at the table, I offered to pay for their meal and was told that I didn’t have to pay on my birthday. That was a simple gift for me from the ladies who I just met for the first time, which really touched my heart.

We had a beautiful 40 minutes together and we shared many topics before they had to continue on their journey. It was more than I could have expected for the day. “Thank you! Ladies-Beck and Shayne, my lovely angels for the day. I would never forget this unique birthday. At our parting, they also inspired me to share my kindness, wisdom or knowledge to those who need it. I said to myself,” I surely do not let this chain of love end with me.

I was sitting at my kitchen table the other day with a pen, notebook, calculator and a pile of bills. I was doing my monthly budget. There were bills for electric water, rent, insurance, the car payment, the phone bill, and the cable bill. Plus money needed to be set aside for food, gas, clothes and hopefully a little left over to save for those unexpected bills that always seemed to show up. When I was done, I shook my head, closed my eyes and thought of a time long ago when I would regularly get treasures.

When I was a boy. we lived across the road from Camp Caesar. It held week long camps all through the summer and my grandma who I lovingly called “Nanny” worked in her big kitchen. I remember slipping there getting a smile, a hug, a kiss and a hot roll from Nanny. Then she would always take deep in her pockets and pull out a treasure, a shiny quarter. She would give it to me and I would run down the hill to either get an ice cold can of coke from the pop machine or I would head to the camp’s swimming pool where I could buy a warm cup of cherry coke for 15 cents and a tiny 10 cent bag of chips from a stand. I took my time because it was always a big decision. It was nice too feeling so rich for a few minutes.

Looking back now I can see that the real treasure was not the quarter at all. It was the love with which Nanny gave it to me. I would have still visited her at work every day if I had never gotten a single quarter. It was her smile, hugs, and kisses that were priceless in my heart then and now.

The old saying is true, “With your work you can make a living, but it is with your love that you make a life.” You can always welcome love into your heart, soul and mind. And you can always share your love with others. It is that one treasure that lasts forever.