this is a photograph i didn't take

Of the small mob impatiently waiting to get their Christmas packages mailed in time for as little money as possible, and the slender woman behind the counter: the proprietor, a serious, single mother, soberly and meticulously taking care of each customer one at a time, listening to their instructions and handling their business. Of the way her furrowed brow relaxed when I asked her how her 18-year-old daughter was doing.  Of the sudden appearance of her astonishing smile, as bright as the sun streaming through the stripmall glass of the crowded postal services store.

(Inspired by my always-brilliant friend, the talented photographer Hula, who was, in turn, inspired by Michael David Murphy.)