Travel was a big part of my job as an office trainer. As I maneuvered down the aisle of the crowded airplane, my mind drifted to other trips I’d taken: New York, Washington, overseas…<\/p>\n
It was in Holland—at a tulip festival—that my husband, Craig, proposed. Even now, 12 years after his death, tulips always made me think of him.<\/p>\n
I reached my row, where a middle-aged lady was already seated on the aisle. “I’ve got the window,” I said. She moved aside to let me climb in, apologizing for her bag. “No problem,” I said.<\/p>\n
I hope she’s not chatty, <\/em>I thought as I pushed my own bag under the seat in front of me. The one thing I hated while traveling was a seatmate who talked too much. Our flight from Boise to Portland was only an hour, and I planned to spend most of it sleeping. “Are you heading home today?” the woman asked.<\/p>\n “No,” I said. “I live in Boise, but I’m flying on business.”<\/p>\n “I’m on my way back to Alaska,” she said. “I just attended my high school reunion. Forty years. I can hardly believe it!”<\/p>\n That made me think of my own anniversary. It was still months away, but this year would have been our twentieth. A milestone. I tried to distract myself from feeling sad by listening to my seatmate. She was going on and on about her reunion.<\/p>\n “The city’s changed a lot since I lived here,” she said. “I guess I’ve changed a lot too. I got divorced a few years ago, and I felt like I had to start my whole life over.”<\/p>\n “I felt that way after my husband died,” I said. “I’m DJ, by the way.”<\/p>\n “I’m Karen.”<\/p>\n We talked all the way to Portland. I never would have imagined myself sharing details of my life with a stranger, but Karen just made me feel comfortable. When the captain announced our arrival I was almost disappointed! Karen put up her tray table to get ready for landing.<\/p>\n “What a cute bracelet you’re wearing,” I said.<\/p>\n “Isn’t it fun? I got it at the Saturday market downtown. It’s made of spoons!” She slipped it off to show it to me. I turned it over in my hand, running a finger over the floral pattern along the edges, and the little butterfly charm that dangled from the place where the two spoon handles joined.<\/p>\n Craig loved craft fairs. This bracelet was just the type of thing he might have picked up for me. Of course, he probably would have looked for a tulip pattern. “It’s really nice,” I said, handing the bracelet back to Karen.<\/p>\n “I wish I would have gotten a couple more for my daughters,” she said wistfully. “I wonder if the seller has a web site.”<\/p>\n “I could find out for you,” I surprised myself by saying. What am I doing? <\/em>I didn’t even like talking to people I met on planes. Now I was offering to track down craft jewelry for one? It was completely out of character for me. But now that I’d offered, I couldn’t back down.<\/p>\n “I’ll stop by the booth when I get back to Boise,” I said. “Give me your e-mail and I’ll let you know what I find out.”<\/p>\n “Thank you so much!” said Karen. She was so happy, I knew I’d done the right thing, strange as it was.<\/p>\n She jotted down her e-mail, and I warned her I probably wouldn’t get to the fair for a few weeks. “That would be fine,” she said. “This is just wonderful! I’m so thankful to have met you. If you’re ever in Alaska, you’ve got a place to stay!”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “I just might take you up on that,” I said. She really had been a delightful companion.<\/p>\n My business trip went well, and I returned home to Boise. On a warm and sunny Saturday I went down to the market to fulfill my promise. Almost right away I found the booth selling spoon jewelry. I browsed the display, checking out earrings, necklaces and rings as well as bracelets like Karen’s.<\/p>\n “See anything you like?” asked the seller.<\/p>\n “I’m not really shopping for myself,” I said. “I promised a friend I’d find out if you have a web site.”<\/p>\n “Sorry, we don’t,” she said. “But take my card. If your friend gives me an e-mail address I can send her some pictures.”<\/p>\n