Touching Lives

I had an experience recently that made me step back and look at things. I was at the grocery store running around because of course my list wasn't in order according to the store layout. An employee approached me and asked if I was finding everything okay, to which I responded with an automatic, "yes, thank you". I was getting ready to go to my grandmother's funeral the next day and just needed something to make quickly for dinner. I'm not sure if the employee could pick up on my stress, or just frazzled look, but she touched my shoulder and said, "have a good evening, okay?" This touch to my shoulder made me snap back from being on auto pilot to realizing that she was an actual person. I mean, because she physically touched me, I felt like she actually cared. All too often this happens. We just cruise along not really recognizing people as people; only recognizing them as positions. My response "yes, thank you" just popped out of my mouth not really thinking that she was actually asking me if I was finding everything, just that as an employee it was her job to ask me.

Of course the next day at my grandmother's funeral, the experience of laying someone to rest is always a tough and almost uncomfortable experience. It causes people to reflect upon their own life and think, "If I die tomorrow, who and how long will I be remembered"? It is sobering to think like this. I feel like I should reach out to as many people as possible. The next time I am at the grocery store I am going to ask that grocery store employee how her day is going and actually listen to her response instead of just smiling and nodding. This is life. Caring and talking and listening to others. You can make a difference.