"Can my daughter take a picture with you? You're her favorite character." I was at Comic-Con, and had dressed as the popular character Velma from Scooby-Doo.

I looked down at the little girl buckled into her stroller, whose eyes had grown big as saucers.

"Of COURSE you can have a picture with me."

The mother unbuckled her daughter who shyly inched near me... wanting to get closer, but almost as if she were worried I might disappear if she were to reach out and touch me... like finding out it might all just be a dream.

I bent close to the little girl and asked if she would like a hug. And all hesitation disappeared. She threw herself at me and squeezed as tightly as her little arms would allow... and her mom snapped the picture.

The little girl then sat back down in her stroller and continued to watch me with a HUGE grin plastered to her face.

The mom thanked me profusely, saying that once the little girl had spotted me, she excitedly started saying my name and practically begged her mom to chase me down so she could see me. The mother said that I had, in fact, made her child's day.

I was exhausted from walking so much, hot & sweaty under my wig, and my feet ached like CRAZY in those shoes... but it didn't matter one bit. All my aches and pains were WORTH it for that one moment where I could bring such JOY to that one child.

And it's a memory that I will treasure forever.

Many thanks to my husband who had the foresight to capture this moment for me.