My toes are Barbie pink today. Thanks to an unnamed Asian woman at the Ladysmith Nail Spa in the Food Lion shopping center, my day is just a little bit brighter with every step I take. A non-descript spa, in a certainly non-descript country strip mall, this woman and I exchanged approximately 8 words during our 40 minute interaction. As she massaged my feet, scrubbed my heels, and beautified my toes, she was silent in action.
The humility of servitude that makes a nail salon successful really struck a chord in my heart while I sat in silence today. My payment for such a thoughtful, humbling service is nominal for the grace that I receive as a customer. Whilst not the friendliest place, my nail salon was warm and vibrant in colors, comfortable in its leather massage chairs, and full of life in the mixed Thai chatter that was exchanged rapidly amongst workers.
My nameless nail lady impressed me in the attention to detail she gave. She took her time massaging my calves, was meticulous about the perfection of the paint, and treated me like the only customer she’s ever had. She was, to me, the epitome of quiet grace. I would have never noticed, nor probably cared, if she had rushed, but she took great pride in her work. When one toe wasn’t up to her standard of perfect, she wiped it off, dried it and re-painted it to her satisfaction. Her dedication to her craft was not only impressive, but beautiful.
As I walk around in the 65° Virginia weather today with my Barbie toes exposed in leather thongs, I can’t help but to think about ways in which I can perfect and take more pride in my day-to-day craft of living and giving in graciousness to others. We are graced with goodness and good people all around us; sometimes we just need to slow down to notice.