It was a random, cold Tuesday.  

The snow was melting, the sky was blue and the sun kissed me.

I was walking by but then suddenly stopped. There was a beauty before me.

Sculptures are beautiful but this one was extraordinary! I actually walked past it but I found myself taking steps back. It was so beautiful. There was something mesmerizing and intriguing about the sculpture of a mom holding her baby. The way the mother’s hand curved around the baby was firm and gentle as if love was sculpted into stone. 

I saw and felt the love. It was pure magic! 

The sculptor did a fantastic job because it felt so real. I literally saw an inanimate object come to life. 

But then, I saw something else. It was a yellow flower. It added depth and brought to life, what many might have dismissed as “surface level.”

There was something about the way the sculpted mother held her baby. I am not a mother. At least not yet, but it reminded me of my own mother, my siblings and friends I have nurtured and am still nurturing. 

I was glad I stumbled upon this unexpected gift, which by the way, made me think of unexpected gifts I have encountered and the ones people have encountered through me. 

People! Yes people are the greatest gift of all – at least in my own view! 

I never really thought of people as gifts while I was growing up. I saw people as people. I thought of gifts as something you had to unwrap or unravel from a gift box. Lately, however, I’m seeing that with people, it’s not any different.

Human beings are layered, or at least, let me speak about my own people – the people who care about me and whom I care about are layered, multidimensional and like gifts, are always full of surprises. 

I think of my family. I’m thankful and beyond grateful I have one. They are my rock and every possible thing I can think of! And then there are friends and friends who have become family. I am beyond blessed when it comes to family, and friends.

Like the sculpted mother, I didn’t choose them. They entered my life unexpectedly and we’ve somehow nurtured one another since then. 

But isn’t it amazing to see and witness how many beautiful things we stumble upon yet fail to appreciate? You can only stumble upon something or someone before nurturing it or them. I didn’t always know this but now, I do. 

My question therefore is – how many relationships have you stumbled upon but failed to cultivate simply because you held back? 

Think about it because the most beautiful parts of life don’t arrive with announcements or ribbons.

They appear quietly and unexpectedly and are simply waiting to be seen, held, and nurtured.