mulberryshoots

I went to the grocery store for a small amount of sliced ham and swiss cheese to have for our lunches last week. As I stood waiting my turn, the man who was waiting on the elderly woman made eye contact and was not only very courteous, but also took his time being helpful. He held up a slice to ask if it was the thickness that the woman wanted. Then, he moved over to the other person who had been waiting patiently who asked for some chicken salad. There was some discussion about why one variety of chicken salad was called “Cape Cod Chicken salad”–and it was due to the addition of cranberries that were part of the mix.

Then, he came over to help me with my purchases. He was probably in his forties or maybe early fifties and had a kind expression on his face. He treated his role and his job with human grace and dignity. I commented lightly about this to him and it brought another smile to his face. When I left with my cart, he said that I had made his day. And I returned that, ditto, he had made mine also!

Sometimes it feels as though there’s so little of this kind of human attention and graciousness these days, never mind from someone who has a repetitive, low-paying job. It doesn’t cost anything and his demeanor came from what he was born with–his gentle personality. It made a difference to a few people while waiting to buy something to eat. Goes to show that we don’t have to cure cancer or the common cold to make a difference, right?