This is a true story.
Do you believe in fairy godmothers?
Yes… I mean the kind of fairy godmother from Cinderella that appear out of nowhere and then poof… they change your life.
Do you?
I know it sounds crazy….
But about 5 years ago I met mine.
No joke!
I was in the deeps of depression after my divorce when it happened. It was the lowest point I had ever experience and I was stuck hard at rock bottom.
My marriage, my divorce and the actions of my ex-husband, broke my soul.
I lost every concept of who I was as a human. I lost sight of my value and my self worth. I was struggling with even wanting to try to just keep up with the basics of life.
In my struggle to function daily and keep a job, I began a habit of hitting up the local bagel shop on my way to work.
It was just a chain place, required very minimal conversation and had decent coffee I could buy 32oz at a time.
I had gone there for several weeks without any significant events until…
One day, I was having a terrible day.
The kind of that started crying in the shower, smoking a joint and just wishing the day would end already.
I pulled my act together and started my day.
I went to the bagel shop like I did every morning. There was no one else there. Not totally unusually but also not super common either.
When I got to the counter, this little, bedazzled, bouncy, grandma aged person looked up at me and gasped….
Like big dramatic grabbed her chest from shock kind of gasp.
At first, I was like “oh shit, am I that hideous that now sweet old ladies gasp in my presence???”
I literally had no idea what has happening.
She came quickly out from behind the counter.
She grabbed both my arms… which if you know me, you know how much I loved this …. and pulled me down into her direct line of vision.
She stared at me dead in the eyes…
Completely disturbed and deeply….
And she said….
I will never forget.
“You let someone take your sparkle.”
She said it so matter of fact.
Straight faced.
Like it was so obvious.
It took me a second to actually understand what she said.
My sparkle… WTF?
She pulled me in again, her eyes got fierce and she said with stern authority, “young lady, you never let anybody take your sparkle. Ever. No matter what.” She ended with a head nod that let me know she wasn’t playing.
Still… WTF is happening right now.
She let go of my arms and grabbed my hands as she pulled me back in looked me up and down.
I remember her words like it was yesterday….
She shook her head in what looked like disbelief and make that “tisk tisk” sound of deep dissapointment….
“I have extra sparkle to share, so I’m gonna give you some of mine.
You can borrow it until you find yours again.”
At this point she was staring directly into my eyes, I felt like she was looking at my soul. I felt seen for the first time in… I can’t even remember how long.
For whatever reason, I accepted her sparkle.
I let her love wash over my for that second.
I felt her sparkle.
She told me that when I find my sparkle, I am never to let anyone take it every again.
“You sparkle is your gift to share with the world.”
With that, pulled me down and wrapped her arms around me.
She gave me one of those grandma hugs, where they rock a little and you feel totally gooey just for a second.
She whispered her words again “You never let anyone take your sparkle”.
When she was satisfied with what seemed like an incredibly long hug for 2 strangers that just met… she let me go, turned around and went back to work.
She never took my order but handed me a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese with a 32oz coffee…. My exact order.
I grabbed my breakfast, smiled and said thank you… she winked at me in silence as I walked out in disbelief of what just happened.
I kid you not, leaving that place… I felt different.
I was smiling.
I felt loved.
I felt seen.
I felt…. Do I dare say… Sparkly?
I went back the next day….
She wasn’t there.
I went back for the next few weeks.
She wasn't there.
I asked the other worker if they knew who she was… they didn’t.
Her words have stuck with me since that day.
I did… I let someone take my sparkle.
It seems so simple.
So obvious.
How could I have done that?
Her love brought me back.
Some random grandma lady, floating a shift at the local bagel store, never to be seen again…. changed everything for me.
She helped me save myself.
She helped me sparkle again.
I don’t normally believe in stories like these… but I can’t come up with any other explanation.
I will be forever thankful and always remember the words of my Bagel Fairy Godmother.
“Never let anyone take your sparkle.”
Sparkle on friends!