Missed Connections

The last three days have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster at work so I haven't really felt like posting. In the last 72 hours everything in my office has changed. I still have a job and I'm still doing the same work but everything around me has shifted. People are gone, job titles have changed, and the office won't ever really be the same for me. But then again as they say, the only thing that stays the same...is change.

So I need to focus on the things that make me happy today. There is a blog I've been meaning to share with you for a long time now and never really found the moment. I've been reading this blog on and off for almost a year now and am completely in love with it. The author, Sophie Blackall, only posts once or twice a month but those posts are worth it.

There are a number of Missed Connections message boards across the country where people can write in little messages, love letters, or anonymous thank yous for the rest of the city to read. Most of them are simple statements about how people crossed paths and influenced each other. Sophie reads the New York boards and finds messages that intrigue her. Then she paints a picture of that message.

Not only do I enjoy her painting style, I love the whole idea behind this blog. The messages on the board are fleeting. They only appear for a period of time and although we'll never know who wrote them or who they are directed to, they are moments that obviously made an impact on the writer. I love the concept that each day we constantly bump into people and they have some sort of influence on our lives. The barista who puts a chocolate covered espresso bean on my morning coffee makes my day. The woman who smiles at me on my walk to work makes me smile. The stranger who opens the door for me and tells me about their time on crutches, gives me hope. If only we could capture those moments. Suddenly a simple comment about a hat becomes poetry. Sophie takes the words of strangers and makes them into art.

As I mentioned before Sophie posts only a couple times a month. It has to take time to find the right message and paint it. But each post reminds me that the little things we do make a huge difference and that we never know how a simple gesture will affect others. I love that someone took the time to write these words, to reach out. And I love that Sophie attempts to capture them and make them more permanent. Makes them more than just simple words. To check out more Missed Connections and more of Sophie's beautiful artwork, stop by the blog. Beautiful and guaranteed to make you smile.