 We were told not to wear any jewelry, and I took this to heart except for the pair of small silver hoops looped in my ears. And on the second day at the Learning Center, one young girl must have noticed my bare arms and fingers. Before I knew it, she had removed a single blue rubber band from her wrist and stretched it around mine. And then she flashed me a beautiful grin. "Bueno," she said. There. Her gift was simple, ordinary. It came from a tender, innocent heart. I went to the Dominican Republic to help the impoverished, and in a simple moment or two, an impoverished child assessed me and saw that I was the one lacking. I coddled the idea of wearing that bracelet for the rest of my life to remind myself of the kindness and sweet gesture of una domincana joven who had so little to offer, but gave to me, a grown woman who has so much. For nearly two months, I have tried to fathom the deeper meaning of this young child's generosity, and I have concluded that true beauty of heart and beauty of spirit might best be measured by what we give to others.
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