Remembering The Little Things

I pass her every week as I walk by the customer service desk.
She is a whirl of motion.
She is quick and efficient at her job.
She has a loud voice and a demeanor that says she can handle anything.

I imagine that she is a formidable foe.
I have seen her no nonsense approach to things.
However, for whatever reason, I am the recipient of her kindness.
I am always greeted with a smile and a big hello as I walk by her.

Some weeks, as I push my shopping cart, she is busy, so a smile and hello is not possible.
She usually sees me first.
I hear, Hi, Hon, from across the counter.
I tell her to have a nice weekend, since it is usually Thursday when I do my shopping.

I walked past her today and smiled.
How’s that grandbaby? She asked with her loud voice.
Thanks for remembering, I said, quite touched with her question.
She is wonderful, I said, beaming more than I intended.

Have any pictures? She asked.
Does a new grandmother have any pictures?
I sure do; I will show you one that is my favorite, I answered.
You can show me more than one, she said but I knew that I would only show her one.

Adorable, she said, Look at all that hair!
Do you like being a grandmother? She asked already knowing the answer.
I really do, I said with enthusiasm.
I have five grandchildren, she said.

How wonderful, I said to her.
Thank you so much for remembering, I commented, still touched by her question.
She smiled and put her head down to work.
I heard her loud voice as I pushed my cart away.

That quick encounter with her made my day.
The woman at the customer service desk remembered something important to me.
She not only remembered, she asked me about it.
By her actions she told me that I mattered.

Do you know how wonderful that feels?
Do you know how nice it is to be more than just another customer?
Do you know how important it is to remember one thing that you can ask someone about?
Do you know how much it means when someone takes time?

I know that I smiled for quite a few aisles after talking to her.
The woman with her no nonsense approach is really tender hearted.
The woman runs a tight ship behind that customer service desk.
However, she cares; she really cares.

I pushed my shopping cart a bit further and was ready to turn down another aisle.
There was a mother walking with her son who had special needs.
The mother was allowing her son to push the shopping cart.
He was struggling.

She encouraged him.
He was not able to steer the cart very well and it was almost hitting things.
This was a learning experience for him.
I admired the mother’s patience.

Another woman, who seemed to be in a rush, was also near the same aisle.
She and I were facing each other.
There was no where for either of us to go until the young boy passed by.
The mother looked at me and I smiled, hoping to convey my support and admiration.

The young boy pushed the cart in a haphazard way but he was so proud of himself.
As they passed me, the mother quietly said, Thank you.
Of course, I said, enjoy your day.
The other woman, who was facing me, could not wait to turn her cart down the aisle.

My shopping cart was in front of her.
I looked at the other woman and spoke to her.
Thank you for waiting, I said as I was ready to turn down the aisle.
I didn’t have a choice, did I? She said in the nastiest tone I have ever heard.

I looked at her in disbelief.
The mother and her son were still within earshot.
There was not an ounce of kindness in her tone or her demeanor.
The young boy with special needs was making her late.

The woman at the customer service desk remembered my granddaughter and asked about her.
The woman, who had to wait while a young boy tried his hardest, was just unkind.
The two women were total opposites.
Their tone and their attitude stirred up two very different responses in me.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6)

It only takes a minute to make someone’s day.
It only takes a minute to wreck someone’s day.
Our attitude matters.
We do not live on an island.

Listen well, when someone is talking to you.
Remember one thing you can ask them about the next time you see them.
Be sincere.
Genuinely care about one another.

The woman at the customer service desk did just that.
Her no nonsense demeanor gets the job done.
She doesn’t miss anything.
She remembers things that matter.

She made my day.
She simply asked, How’s that grandbaby?
A little question that spoke volumes to my heart.
It only took a minute of her time but it meant so much to me.

I thought of Jesus’ words: Go and do likewise.
Enough said.