This year my husband Jimmy and I celebrated the New Year in the Bahamas with our daughters and a few other families.  We stayed in what was reputed to be one of the largest hotels ever built.  There seemed to be miles of indistinguishable corridors that almost required a map to navigate between our rooms and the lobby.  We wondered then about the other guests; the uniformity of the hundreds of doors masked the personalities and life stories of those who joined us from around the world.  Needless to say, it did not feel like an intimate experience.

One morning we walked out of our room to find a large, homemade, computer-printed sign posted on our next-door neighbor’s door.  The sign heralded the birth of the couple’s newest grandchild.  Immediately, Jimmy and I felt a connection to people we had never met.  We were excited for them and happy that they had taken the time to share their joy with us.  It also made us feel connected to the community around us.  The decorated door told their story and when we did finally meet the proud grandparents that evening, we were able to congratulate them in a warm and personal manner.  The simple effort of that posted message transformed the anonymity of Bahamas’ biggest hotel into a shared and treasured experience.

- Catherine