A few months ago in Boulder, Colorado I planned to get a photo frame for a friend of mine for his birthday and so went to the nearest Art shop.

As I asked the lady at the counter if they had those certain kind of frames, she looked up from jotting something down on her notebook and said, "no I am sorry we don't, perhaps the next shop has it".

I thanked her and started walking towards the door but then it hit me, something about her eyes was not right. I went back to her and said, "excuse me... I am so sorry but you look kind of sad, can I give you a hug"? After a startled expression on her face she walked out of the counter and we hugged for a few seconds until her whole body trembled and tears rolled off her face. "I have just had a few weeks of tough time at home", she said honestly... "today was the worst but I thank you for this, it makes a really big difference". There was an awkward pause in each of her word as she was definitely feeling weird for hugging a random traditionally-dressed girl. But the feeling of loss that I had seen in her eyes at first seem to have fad a bit and that smile was enough to make that moment more beautiful and powerful.

After saying our goodbyes, as I walked out of the door I felt a million years of warmth and peace in my heart. That melting feeling of joy that passed from my heart and veins to all corners of my body told me to celebrate a human connection which does not ask for rationality, reasoning, and answers. It just loves and finds joy in it.

Wanted to share this with you friends to remind you that there are people around us everywhere who are in desperate need of that attention or a simple hug. Some you may know. Go give them a hug today, believe me its a feeling worth dozen rewards~

Three years ago a mentor of mine suggested I meet Oprah Winfrey before I get killed, I smiled. A year later, another good friend recommended the very same thing but when the same suggestion came the third time recently I knew something seriously important lay behind this.

Although it was still hard for me to understand the point behind a celebrity meeting a struggling village girl. With my naive knowledge about world's famous people, I only knew that this woman had power and success at her feet. The distance between her and myself is enormous, with her fame and personality she has much important things to do then speak to me, and about what?

But then I met Oprah this past April 2013. Luck brought us together as speakers in the same conference in New York. There I was, a young little girl with layers of traditional clothing, while Oprah a strong woman whom I had seen on TV now standing right there in front of me in elegant expensive cloths.

As I spoke to her in an embarrassing trembling voice, my habit forced me to gaze into her eyes and there I saw something that eased me... something that took away the anxiety within me and made the air in the room much lighter. I saw Authenticity.Oprah Winfrey was not a celebrity. She was one true woman and all that she had become was because she chose to stay her true self and prove to everyone that a young girl from Mississippi can shake the world.

At that moment I slowly looked around us, people surrounded us with camera's, hopes and smiles. Through their eyes I saw, "The Oprah Winfrey", the worlds most known woman and  "An Ambitious Girl" from the mountains, I didn't see much difference between us.

In the end when she hugged me, I realized I didn't have to find reasons for why I should meet her. I only knew one thing very clearly: The future and past were facing each other right at that time, my heart strongly gestured a future where I would stand just like that as a strong woman leader hugging a young girl who has struggled, and right there in that moment of connection I would also whisper in her ear: "I am proud of you my dear". 

Thank you Oprah <3 p="">