Connie is the type of woman you often see and quickly pass over. If you think about Connie at all, you’re probably passing judgement about her life, her character or her worth.

You see her badly dyed jet black hair, you can’t help but notice her array of tattoos, and she dresses like a hooker on a budget. But that’s only Connie’s physical appearance.

Get to know Connie and you’ll be changed forever.

When I first met Connie, I went through the steps I just described. I’m not proud of it…but I’m honest about it. I judged and found her guilty of being cheap and trashy. Not my cup of tea – for sure.

Under normal circumstances I’d walk on by, but on this particular occasion, the two of has had plenty of time with nothing else to do but talk to one another. We were called for jury duty and waiting for our turn to be interviewed by the opposing attorneys.

Where I usually start a conversation is with a compliment or a question I’ve been wondering about. There was no need for that with Connie. She turned the tables on me and was using my playbook. It felt good to be on the receiving end for a change. We began chatting like two old friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages. Within five minutes I noticed Connie’s best features. She has a strong chin, I thought – great nose. How nice to see someone in bold colors instead of the usual black yoga pants.

I was well in to a story about my son when I asked Connie, “Do you have any kids?” She told me she had a son who died after a long battle with a rare form of blood cancer. Then she shared that her husband was killed by a drunken driver in an auto accident three months later. I was stunned.

“How do you go on?” I asked. The tears were welling up, my stomach was lurching, my heart was breaking. And here’s her response:

“After Mark died, Chuck and I went numbly through the grieving...read more