One night this past winter I went to get my nails done in Echo Park and started making small talk with my nail technician.  I didn’t feel like it but she was chatty and I didn’t want to be rude.  She was the only person in the salon and I assumed she was probably bored.  She noticed there was a heaviness in my eyes, and kindly asked me what was wrong.  I was honest and told her I was sad.  I had just moved to LA and I was lonely.  I barely knew anyone at the time and she was the only person I had spoken to all day.  She told me she was also sad, too, because her husband had just died that day.  He was back in her home country, and she was here, dipping my fingers in powdered gel. She didn’t get to say goodbye.  I told her I was so sorry, and began to cry.  She started crying, too, so I gave her a hug and we both sat there, in the bright and clean salon, sobbing into eachother’s arms.  After a moment she looked at me and said, “But, you know, I’m going to be okay.  Because life is rich!”  She smiled as she wiped away her tears, “And you’re going to be okay. You are young and beautiful, and you have your whole life ahead of you.  Your life is rich.”