I stopped at Value Village yesterday to see if I could find anything to mangle in a galaxy print DIY experiment, and as I was walking around, an elderly woman came up to me and asked about my bag. I was a little embarrassed to tell her it was a Coach, but she was delighted and said "I knew it was quality! I bet you go home and admire it like a work of art every night!"

She proceeded to talk about her job as a Wal-mart cashier and all the cheap bags she got to see, and how she learned to spot a quality bag even if she couldn't afford one We talked about how this bag would probably last forever and how I could pass it on to my grandkids, and she talked about how she wished she could buy one good bag from Nordstrom someday. Then she thanked me for talking to her (to which I said I'm thrilled to get random compliments, which led us to chat about how we both love telling strangers when we like something they're wearing). And she went on her way.

It was eye-opening in many ways. First off, I felt grateful as I realized how much I take for granted in my life - to think that any one of the bags I own would be a prized possession to this lady. Second, I thought about my own assumptions about people and felt a little guilty for all that I do have. And it made me happy to have such a conversation in the middle of an otherwise boring day.

I will look at my beautiful Coach bag with new eyes, thanks to a stranger.