Monday, September 12, 2011

The Kindness of Strangers

I don't want to spend all my time talking about my crazy weekend of sick, but I did have to share this.

Today everyone had firm stools.  You may think that's gross to talk about, but trust me, it is a happy miracle.  It also meant that I could finally leave the house, which is also a happy miracle.  And by leave the house, I mean take my kiddos who were finally fever free out to pick up Miss O from school (bless her heart, she never fell victim to the virus, at all.  She was a whineypants, none-the-less, all weekend long, but that's another post for another time).  And, since I like to walk the edge, I also did a quick run to Aldi for some much needed celery and mushrooms for this delicious soup.  Seriously.  You'll want to make this, very very soon.  It's total comfort food and tastes like more work than it really is.

ANYWAY!  Off to Aldi we (Miss E, O and Q and I) go.  Keeping in mind that I am on a cash plan for my groceries, I knew very specifically how much money I had and could spend.  So, while there I, of course, put all sorts of stuff in my cart and then at check out tried to do a mental calculation.  I did AWESOME, Gentle Reader.  Until cashier added the tax.  Ugh.  So, I asked her to take back two items:  some granola bars (no biggie) and some shredded wheat (also, no biggie).  I expressed no sadness at all, as the new total gave me a random dollar back (and in the back of my mind, I thought, WAHOO!  Diet Dr. Pepper from QT here I come!).  If you are familiar with Aldi, you know after you pay for your groceries, it is then up to you to bag them.  So, I hauled my cart over to the counter with the girls and proceeded to do just that. 

Moments later, the gal who was in line behind me (with only 2 items) comes up and brings the cereal to me and says, "I got this for you," smiles and quickly walks off with me calling, "Thank you!" out to her back.

I'm not sure what prompted her to buy my cereal for me, but I thought that was just one of the nicest things a random stranger has done for me in a long long time.  We didn't need the cereal this week.  It was actually for next week, and I was just trying to squeeze it to the budget today.  So unexpected.  So nice.  I said a little prayer in my heart for her that her day would be as awesome as she had been in that sweet moment and finished bagging my groceries and went home.

Once home and groceries put away, I happened to look at myself in the mirror and thought, this sweet lady must have thought I was in some bad shape.  I was wearing a shirt that was at least 10 years old and overly big since my recent weight loss, and I had only kinda brushed my hair and clipped it with a barrette.  In all honesty, looked like I had spent the weekend tending sick kids.  It made me laugh at myself that I had the audacity to go out in public like that and then her kindness reminded me of how I should be in my everyday life.  That I should take advantage of being able to do little acts of kindness and service, just because.  Whether the person looked bedraggled (like me) or not.  Because the feelings were lovely and unexpected.  I sincerely hope she felt the same way, too, and that her day rocked of awesome because of her tender gesture toward a stranger.

5 comments:

Krista said...

Thank you for sharing that...really...thank you!

Laney said...

Bahaha! I giggled the whole way through this. :) I love you aunt L, and I'm glad you had a pretty awesome end to a cruddy weekend.

HaH said...

I think grocery stores are one of the easiest places for random acts of kindness. People are good.

~Heidi

Nancy said...

Such a nice stranger. I always (well... not always, but at least once) read Facebook friend accounts of people at the next table buying their families meal for them because their kids were so well-behaved (and blah blah blah). I always wish that one, people would buy our meals out and two, my kids were that well-behaved in a restaurant. Glad you are all feeling better!

Unknown said...

What a nice story! Thanks for sharing. It made my day! :)