I am a big believer in Karma. I am sure that there is a more drawn-out explanation of Karma out there, but basically I believe that if you do good and are good, then good will follow you. Do things without expectation just for the simple pleasure of making the world a better place and this journey through life more enjoyable for yourself and your fellow man. I like to do things for others without any expectations of a kind return. This follows the train of thought in one of my favorite sayings, “If you don’t expect anything, you are never disappointed.”

This past weekend was full of little Karma surprises. Let me tell you about a few that really touched me.

Karma 1: A young girl and her Mother stopped by our booth. The girl wanted to learn how to knit. Deece was right on it and walked her through it step-by step. The girl was a very quick study and picked it up in no time. The Mother inquired about where to purchase knitting supplies. Deece told her of the local department store that carries such items, but alas, the store is closed on Sundays (this was Sunday). I overheard the exchange and whispered to Deece to tell the girl to take the needles and the ball of yarn home to practice with. Gratis. I wanted this young girl to be able to keep her momentum and continue doing what she was clearly enjoying. A small gift with no strings attached, no expectations of a return. The girl was very happy. And so was I.

Karma 2: A very young girl ( 8 years old ) came to our booth by herself and wanted to learn “how to make a bag” doing that (she pointed to the knitting & crochet teaching table). Deece was out on a pearl shake run, so I was up. I was apprehensive at first and quickly questioned myself if it would be worth it to teach her since she was so young and had quite ambitious goals that would quickly be forgotten once she realized that it wouldn’t be accomplished in a half hour. But then I remembered that I learned to make a chain (the foundation for crochet) at a young age and only learned how to build on that chain a few years ago. So, I patiently sat down with her and taught her how to chain. It was a monster chain, not unlike Bruce’s. Every now and again she would leave and come back, always asking if she could come back and practice more. This little girl was determined! After a bit, her chain got a little more even, so I showed her how to do a single crochet into her chain…the start of her giant bag. She practiced at that for quite some time, leaving and coming back. The last time she left, she asked if it was okay and I told her that it was, and to be sure to come back because when she did, I would have a present for her.

I realized that it was going to take her quite some time to make her bag. Earlier in the day, I had crocheted a dishcloth super quickly because I hadn’t crocheted in a while and I just had to. As I sat there looking at my dishcloth, I realized that it could be a bag for this little girl if I just seamed the sides together and crocheted a handle. So, that is what I did. When the little girl came back, I gave her the new bag and her eyes got really wide and a huge smile spread across her face. She was delighted. It was getting close to the end of the day and we were getting ready to pack up. So, I told her to pick out another color of yarn, that she could take the two colors and the hook that she had been using home with her to keep practicing. I told her to keep up with it and someday she could come there (the festival) and sell things that she made. She was so happy and jammed everything into her new purse and set off. It made me feel good to see her smile.

Karma 3: Harry asked us on Saturday if he could put his photos in our booth to draw some interest in his photography. Without a second of hesitation, Deece and I said, “Yes, of course!”. At the end of the festival, he came to collect his photos and he had given us each a couple of things to say thanks for letting him have his photos there. One of which was our choice of one of his framed photographs to keep. I was dumbfounded for a second. I had thought seriously about purchasing one of his photos for BTH’s room, and had even discussed it with DH the night before. What a generous offer.

This is the photo I chose.

I chose it because to me, it is the quintessential Saipan sunset, with the preposition ships in the distance. I wanted it for BTH’s new room in Juneau as a reminder of where he was born. And his room has a boat-y theme.

That’s Karma for you.

Peace

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