A Coffee Date
Today, as I left my post for the lunch hour, I had a brief but heartwarming encounter.
The person I ran into was someone I hadn’t seen in quite some time. Years ago, we met under circumstances that were, for me, emotionally charged. She was a bright, quiet graduate attending a university career fair where I was recruiting for my team. I remember the moment I saw her—something about her captivated me.
Not long before that fair, I had received unthinkable news. My childhood neighbor, someone I had spent countless hours with, had her life taken away in a violent home invasion. The shock of that event had left an ache and a reminder of how fragile we are.
When I saw this young woman at the fair, everything about her reminded me of my neighbor. It wasn’t just her appearance—it was her quiet strength, her gentle demeanor, the way she carried herself. I made a decision to offer her the vacant role not at all based on merit, but just because I liked her.
It was a culture hire, in a sense. A decision not exactly made from the resume. And maybe that’s okay—especially with graduates. They come to us full of potential, not yet shaped by the rigid expectations of the professional world. They don’t know what they don’t know. They’re still becoming.
She joined my team for a time. Eventually, she moved on, as people do. Life carries us in different directions. But today, we made a date to reconnect over coffee soon. It was a simple exchange, but it left me feeling full of warmth.
It’s fascinating to observe the wonderful ways in which people weave in and out of our lives. Some stay for a season, others for a lifetime. Locking eyes with her at the career fair was a small moment in time for me but for her, it turned out to be life-changing. That one decision opened a door not just for her, but for her family as well – ushering her down a path that shaped the course of her life.
In a world that often demands logic and justification, it can feel risky to follow your heart. But sometimes, the heart knows things the mind cannot articulate and leads us to exactly where we need to be.
At the time, I was probably too green to be the one at the fair making hiring recommendations. But being trusted with responsibility before you feel ready is what pushes you to grow. Choosing her was one of those moments. It wasn’t strategic. It wasn’t calculated. It was intangible and human.
So here’s to the chance encounters that remind us how connected we all are, even in passing.