Crafting Connections
How Little Tokens of Gratitude Bridge Hearts and Cultures
This past weekend, I had a heartwarming experience that I’d love to share with you.
I have been collecting discarded surplus wallpaper samples from Fabmo — a local warehouse that collects new, unused bits of exquisite textiles, leathers, tiles, carpets and more from nearly 60 showrooms at the San Francisco Design Center.
Why? Not only to support this local organization’s efforts to prevent these items from heading to a landfill, but also because these are simply exquisite.
Using these scraps, I created a small mismatched collaged tag – a mix of blues, greens, and yellows, with pops of red and gold.
I added a simple “Thank You!” in gold lettering and attached a matching blue tassel for a finishing touch.
It wasn't anything elaborate, just a small token crafted with care.
I took this little creation to our local Mexican restaurant and gave it to the greeter, a native Spanish speaker.
At first, this 20-odd-years-old man looked puzzled, unsure what to make of it.
But when he turned it over and read the heartfelt message I’d written on the back, his face lit up with the most genuine smile.
He actually thanked me for thanking him — a reaction I’ve seen often when sharing these small gestures of appreciation.
What strikes me most every time is how this small act creates ripples of happiness for both people involved.
I left the restaurant feeling just as uplifted as he looked.
These simple, handcrafted tokens are more than just pretty objects — I think of them as humanity bridges that help me cross language, age, and culture barriers.
When I handed that colorful kindness keepsake to the restaurant greeter, I wasn’t just giving him a physical item.
It was a piece of myself in a moment where words were irrelevant.
These tokens, in their essence, strip away the complexities of our differences.
Age fades away — whether given by a child or an elder, received by a teenager or a grandparent, the core message remains the same: kindness matters.
I don’t see these creations as just recycling materials … it’s recycling positive energy.
I’m taking the remnants of something that was carefully curated from a pile of discards, arranging them into seeds of joy that I can then plant in my community and watch the smiles blossom.
It’s the simple joy of being seen and appreciated.
You can be a kindness ambassador, too.
Start small and create with your heart – you'll be amazed at easily your hands will follow. And if you’d like to join me in a creative connection hour every month, I invite you to be a subscriber.