Wisdom, Blessings, Children's Smiles

I arrived on Monday morning at the P&C Restaurant, as usual, to get my green tea and bottle of water.  I always like checking in with my Korean friends who run the restaurant.  The cook is also a very friendly and warm gentleman, albeit a man of few words.  He always calls me "Mr. David," out of respect.  As I wished them a good day, the cook smiled at me and said, "Play from the heart."

Simple words of advice.  But somehow those words hit me between the eyes.  They just seemed so profound at the moment.  I've always known, with creating any art, straight from the heart is the best way to go.  But somehow his reminding me of this was a gift at this moment.  I thanked him for his wisdom.
His words echoed in my head the entire time I played and sang that day.
Thank you, Mr. Joseph, for your wisdom.
Often I receive rewards other than coins and dollar bills for my playing.  A young woman in a Santa Claus hat stood before me yesterday, smiling.  At the end of the song, I smiled back.  All she said was, "God bless you."  She moved on.....
The holidays are all about children.  Mothers and fathers are walking through the concourse now doing holiday shopping or maybe just enjoying being out among people in this season of lights.  Often when children are wheeled by in strollers, their eyes become transfixed on me.  I'm sure I catch their attention. Voice, guitar, the novelty.  Often they are old enough to point at me or smile with crinkly eyes, sparkling eyes.  Yesterday a grandmother was drinking coffee and eating pastries with two young girls, maybe four and six.  They kept turning around and looking at me, pointing, smiling.  Finally the grandmother gave one of them a dollar.  Shyly she inched her way toward me and hesitated, before dropping her dollar into my case.  I wished her a Merry Christmas....  Grandmother and girls left, but passed by me twice during the next hour to wave and smile.....
I think the light and sparkle...the entire spirit of the season.... was captured in that 6-year-old smile.
Blessings.  God has blessed me.
Feliz Navidad.