Open Writing

You know when something horrible or ugly or hurtful takes place one can only try to get through it. I was pleasantly surprised when one such occurrence was followed by a most pleasant event.

As I was leaving a café I bumped into a friend. She had been through a lot over the past few months and I asked, “how are you?”

“At this moment. I am good,” she informed me.

“Then let’s find joy in this moment.” I hugged her and hugged her and spoke quietly in her ear. “Let’s rejoice for this moment and breathe in just how good it really feels.”

We visited a bit and then as I walked away I reflected on “joy-filled moments” and the ugly incident in the grocery store. My husband and I were bagging our groceries when a shopper drove her grocery cart into my leg and foot. Regrettably it was my injured leg. I looked up at the woman who seemed to be pretending she did not know what had happened.

“Lady, excuse me, you just rammed me in the foot with your cart and it hurt.”

She looked at me, an ugly expression of contempt on her face, and she sneered “oh isn’t that just too d--- bad!” Wow, can venom drip from a person’s face!

“Listen if I am in your way you merely have to ask me courteously to move and I’ll do it. You don’t have to hit me,” I explained to her.

Suddenly she drove her cart at me again and again and again. She snarled at me to get out of her way and told me she had no intention of asking me to move. She showed me a side of human nature I have rarely seen. I was shocked by the malice and toxin of that one individual!

In fact I was so shaken and stunned, I was speechless yet fortunately my self preservation kicked in and I got out of her pathway before she got me one more time.

Cashiers and shoppers alike stopped still and their mouths literally dropped open. This definitely was not a common sight for any of us.

With a few more unsavory parting remarks the woman, who looked to be in her late 60’s stalked out of the grocery store.

Later that day, I was at another store and arrived at the cashier at the same time as another woman. I insisted she go first, but she just smiled at me and her eyes almost twinkled as she insisted I go ahead of her. “No, please you go ahead of me,” I responded.

“No, no, I am in no rush. Be my guest,” she said.

I asked her then to at least go ahead and put her basket of goods up on the counter. But still smiling and as sweet as the nicest grandmother in the world, she placed her basket on the floor and explained the basket could just as well sit right there.

I could feel the beautiful spirit of this lovely shopper and her warm energy was affecting me in a most welcome fashion.

Minutes later as I described the event to my husband he grinned and said, “balance!” Immediately I smiled and knew he was referring to the other very negative encounter earlier in the day.

The second shopper, the lady with the twinkle in her eyes was like a healing angel. I felt as though she was there to soften the blow of what the first shopper had dished out! And I really did feel so much better.

That night as I prepared for bed I thought of the encounters and knew I needed to pray for the angry woman. I need to forgive her for attacking me and I knew she needed some blessings to come her way. She needed to feel some joy and I hoped God would consider giving her some support.

I received momentary joy that day from the angelic shopper and then I surely got more as I prayed.

Some days there may only be small helpings of joy-filled moments and when they happen we should celebrate them to the max.