I had an amazing thing happen to me, two weeks in a row, at the same place. It happened while doing one of my least favorite chores, grocery shopping! I usually do my shopping closer to home, but the last two weeks I went to another town. Same chain, different town. This was my last chore of a busy day and I just wanted to hurry through it. Who would have thought that I would leave the store with a renewed sense of hope and a spring in my step?
Week one: I met a family consisting of three generations. As I was shopping, I heard an old song over the intercom that made me "dance" as I shopped. I didn't really realize what I was doing until a woman made a comment of how happy I seemed. I told her it was the music that made me feel good. We had a short interchange and went along our business of shopping. As I moved from aisle to aisle I continued to run into this family. Sometimes the woman and I would just look at each other and smile. I then started to hear the young children call out, "Look-it's the happy lady!." That surprised me and made me stop. I spoke to the children and tried to get them to listen to the beat of the music.
This interaction continued as I went up and down each aisle. The children pointed and commented about the happy lady. (I no longer was moving to the music but I did have a different spring to my step.) As I was going through the checkout, I could see the family four checkouts over. The young girl was pointing and waving. The grandmother was smiling and the mother wasn't sure what was happening.
After we all paid for our groceries we met up to say goodbye and to exchange a few words. The grandmother stated that I gave her a renewed hope for humanity. Whoa, I thought! She said that she is saddened by the way people are afraid to make eye contact. "It's like everyone is afraid to speak to another," she said. The children were a little surprised by all this interaction. "Do you know each other?", they asked. It became a teachable moment in connections. The mother of the children was a dialysis nurse. She said she makes connections at work but I think this was a little different for her.
I'm a hugger and I asked the grandmother if we could exchange a hug. "Most definitely", she said. The mother said she was a hugger also, and we too, exchanged an embrace.
Week two: A gentleman lets me pass in the parking lot of the same grocery store as mentioned earlier. As I passed, he gave me a wave. My first thought was that he must have mistaken me for someone he knew! I waved a thank you. We each picked up a few things and ended up at the same checkout. As I counted my items he started chatting. We spoke of the busy day and the football game that we were both shopping for. As we spoke, the cashier looked on with intrigue. The young cashier spoke of how busy it was and how he wishes he was somewhere else. The gentleman and I mentioned how it helps to "chat it up" when doing something you wish we weren't. I had a brief yet meaningful encounter with yet another stranger. We thanked each other for the fine conversation and wished each other a great weekend. He reached over and gave me a hug. The cashier couldn't understand what was happening! This became another teachable moment. Creating a connection, no matter how small can make someone's day. A smile, eye contact and wishing someone a good day can change the attitude of both involved. There is no need to have a longer interaction or to embrace anyone. Being open and welcoming is all it takes!
