The women were smiling, posing in a gondola before skiing down a mountain. They wore parkas with hoods. Their faces were glowing. 

It’s a photo that found its way into a hospital room yesterday, cheering the patient who would no longer ski down a mountain but who, I hope, took heart from the image and the gesture, a kindness meant to stir up memories of a happier time.

The ability of an image to hearten and inspire … it was on full display yesterday, and I marveled at its power. 

(This isn’t that photo, but it’s an old photo that always makes me smile.)