Tales from the Grocery Store, Part 2

I went to the grocery store last night after work. I’ve been needing to go for a few days, but just didn’t want to deal with the hassle. My side is still hurting quite a bit—in fact, I sneezed yesterday afternoon and the pain in my side was worse than almost any other pain I’ve ever experienced—and I was waiting to see if it would heal up a little before hitting the grocery store. That didn’t happen, so I jumped in the car and decided to get it over with.

So, when I got there, I started piling my cart full. I stopped in the frozen food section and stocked up on Lean Cuisines and Smart Ones because I finished off the last one in my freezer a day or two ago. After making my selections, I saw an elderly gentleman walking my way. He was pushing a small cart and seemed to be in relatively poor health. He didn’t really walk, he shuffled. Many of his teeth appeared to be missing and he just had a sickly look to him.

He must have seen me putting frozen entrees in my cart because he smiled at me and gave me an understanding look before saying, “They’re the way to go when you can’t cook.” I agreed with him and smiled back. His cart was piled higher than mine was with frozen entrees, so he definitely knew what he was talking about. Then he stopped and talked to a mom and her two kids. It all sort of reminded me of this post I wrote quite some time ago. In fact, it happened at the same grocery store.

On the way home, I got to thinking about the man. I wondered if he had been single his entire life? If so, it seems to have agreed with him. He’s found a way to show love to others in the most natural of ways. And then I wondered if he was widowed. If so, I’m guessing that he married well because he had a great attitude. Maybe his wife showed him how to love and he’s never forgotten it.

I don’t know why, but the whole thing moved me.