Among the gifts of travel I relish the most are chance encounters with creative souls who generously share their enthusiasms with me. In the small inn where we stayed in Vermont recently, I woke up early and went to the cozy breakfast room hoping for a cup of coffee to start my day. Just in time! I was cheerfully served by Ruth Ann, who had just been working at the inn for a week or so.

We started chatting. One thing led to another and I mentioned that I was a writer. I told her about Birthing the Elephant, my book on start-up strategies for women and she was very excited. Her daughter is a baker and hopes to open her own bakery some time soon. What a coincidence! One of the intrepid entrepreneurs I interviewed for Birthing the Elephant was Sarah Levy, a bubbly young dynamo who started a bakery out in Chicago and has made a big success of it. Now I was excited, too! Your daughter might even be able to get in touch with Sarah and get some tips, I told Ruth Ann.

And Ruth Ann? Well, guess what! She’s in theatre! She’s directed plays, judged playwrighting contests, and works with gifted students and actors. I told her about my Sojourner Truth play and she was kind enough to say she’d take a look at it and give me some feedback! In exchange, I’m going to send her a signed copy of Birthing the Elephant for her daughter.

What a great cup of coffee that turned out to be! You never know when someone you can help and who can help you will pop up. How wonderful to think that there are helping hands everywhere, just waiting to reach out and lift us up. Write on!