Look up
Periodically
To the heavens
To the clouds
To the stars
Awaken to the wonder
Rejoice in the living
Cherish the moments
And live in gratitude
Yesterday, I made the decision to go out into the world for some groceries. Living in beautiful and sun-filled Florida, I typically enjoy doing so, but on this particular day, my attitude was as dismal and gloomy as the out-of-the-ordinary, overcast skies. Quite frankly, I was dreading the errands and hoped to keep my time spent away from home to a minimum.
As I traveled to the store, I couldn’t help but notice the quiet streets, barren parking lots, and “closed due to the CoronaVirus” signs displayed throughout town. It made me very sad, almost to the point of tears, but I drove on. As I reached my destination, I turned off the ignition, placed the car in park, took a deep breath and removed my seat belt. I jumped out of my automobile and thought...let’s do this! I, then, geared myself up for what promised to be a quick in-and-out excursion. But with each step I took towards the store, I could feel myself tensing up more and more. My hands were clenched, my jaw too, and at one point, I found myself looking at my feet to see if the cinder-block weights attached to them were real or imagined. As I crossed the supermarket’s threshold…my head was down, I reached for the shopping cart...wiped the handle... and as I wandered the sparsely appointed isles...my head remained down.
It wasn’t until I reached aisle 11, the “pasta” aisle that I knew I would need to lift my head to speak with the young man who was restocking the shelves from a step-stool.
“Excuse me, could you help me locate your organic tomato sauce? I said, “I don’t see any here...and if not, do you have it in the back somewhere?”
He replied, “Of course, I know there isn’t a lot to choose from right now but I am happy to take a look for you...this isn’t the area that I typically work in, so pardon me for not knowing right off the bat.”
“No problem...I appreciate your help!”
The pleasant store clerk was off to look at the other end of the aisle for my product request.
“I found it, see it’s right here!” he exclaimed. He seemed pleased by his ability to locate it for me.
I quickly read his name tag and said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Steven!” I took the jar of organic tomato sauce, placed it in my cart, and again, thanked him for his help.
“No thank you!” he said. “Thank you for talking to me. I stock these shelves all day without many words exchanged with anyone...it’s as if people are afraid to look at, or speak with one another.”
“I understand, I can imagine it feels that way. Try not to take it personally. No one really knows how to act right now. I can tell you that I am not myself either but I want you to know that I value your hard work... and so do many others, even if they are not able to express it.”
“I know. I am lucky to have a job to come to every day...many people do not, my heart goes out to them. I am blessed! I hope you have a nice day...and Happy Easter, too!
“Happy Easter to you and yours…and thank you for your positive outlook, this store is lucky to have you!”
As I made my way to the check-out line, I noticed the thin-blue-line of tape across the floor. I, along with the other shoppers complied with the six-foot of distance requirement and eventually self-checked my grocery store items. I continued on to return my shopping cart, crossed the store’s threshold once again, but this time, my head was up!
I took in the beauty of the day, I witnessed the sun’s cascading rays making their way through the newly forming pillowy white clouds. I heard the crooning sound of the nearby songbirds and met eyes with an approaching shopper. We smiled.
My encounter with Steven changed the trajectory of my day and my mind-set in a matter of moments.
He reminded me of the importance of looking up whether I am comfortable or not, connecting with others whether separated by a thin-blue-line or not, remaining positive whether I want to or not and finally, he reminded me to take stock of my many blessings whether I am employed or not.
I hope this story will remind you of the same.
Have a healthy and Happy Easter!
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