One of the things I like best about life is the kindness of “strangers.” You have to know I’ve never met a stranger. I come by it honestly – my mother, her mother (my grandmother); well, just about everyone in my Mom’s family have never met one either. My best friend D used to tell her girls not to act like their “Aunt” Debbie – “They’ll find her parts in a garbage dumpster some day.” I know that’s horrid, but for some reason it always makes me laugh! Shopping with my Mom is always an (usually all day) experience. The reason it takes so long? Mom is talking with people. Helping people find what they need. Giggling about some silly thing with some person she’s never laid eyes on before and never will again. Gods I love my Mom! She talks to other shoppers, the sales associates (not about anything they’re selling) and the checkout people. I continue this tradition. If I get a wrong number on my answering machine and they leave a number I call them back. Can you imagine? It happened again this past Sunday. There was a message from “Wanda.” She needed to find something that her husband (I found out later) told her to get, she couldn’t remember (some thing for the car), but did remember that her nephew would know. The message said she was at the front of the store and could he call and help her. Well, have you not just been in that same situation? I hated the thought of her standing there, husband out of town, not knowing what the hey it is she needs, calls the nephew and he’s not calling back. You know she’s got a million other things to do that day too. I had to call her. And yes, I know her husband was out of town, I know about her nephew – we had the loveliest chat for about 10 minutes. Charles (the best man in the world) comes in as I hang up and asks who I was talking with. He did indeed know I was going to call this woman and tell her it was a wrong number. He didn’t expect us to have a conversation. (gigglefit)
I met a beautiful woman at my Doctor’s office a couple of weeks ago. I have “complex migraines.” And Post Traumatic Stress. (And a couple of thousand other things, as well) I drive the BELTWAY to and from work everyday. If you don’t know the Beltway, you just can’t imagine. It’s fast, or slow and sometimes both. Eighty mph to 0 in 3 seconds. Or less. Volume. Weaving. Well, I had an appointment that a.m. before work. I picked a Dr. office near my work. (I live in MD, work in VA. Around 38 miles. Should take, what? A half hour? Forty-five minutes? Nope – one to two hours. Five days a week.) So I’m late, of course, lost, because I usually go to the Dr. from my office, not from home. And I’m panicked. I’d missed my last appt. Got charged for it. The whole nine. Don’t/CAN’T miss today. I need my refills. Anyway. They have valet parking. Time I get there I’m already 10 minutes late. Finding a space will take 15 to 20 minutes more. I have no cash. Yes, it’s free valet parking, but still, ya gotta tip. I decide I’ll do it anyway. Let them park my car, run into the Dr. and have a migraine attack. Fine. ‘ere what. On the way out to pay, I helped a very nice lady find her way to the checkout. Told her to go ahead first, I’m not in a hurry. Sweet little boy and his daddy ahead of us both. We both talk to the little boy. She pays. Leaves. I pay. Leave. Start to panic, (again) because now I’m leaving and I don’t have a thing to give them. I’ll pretend to be snooty or something. Pretend I don’t know about tipping. Give the guy my ticket and off he goes to get my car. “Nice lady” comes out of the building. We exchange pleasantries again. She says, “How much do you usually tip?” Well, I have no filter from my brain to my mouth. I tell her usually a dollar or two. (Because truthfully I never have used the valet before!) Then, like some sort of I don’t even know what, I hear myself telling her. How embarrassed I am because I didn’t think I was going to use the valet, that I was running late and didn’t want to be later and I HAD to do it and now I have no money and I could crawl in a hole from the embarrassment. She’s says, “I have two dollars. Tell you what, you take one and tip that and I’ll use the other.” I’m horrified. Try to explain that I didn’t mean, didn’t want, I'm fine, really. So sorry! She basically told me she had the two dollars to tip with, what’s a dollar, it’s basically going to the same place anyway, why don’t I just hand them one and she’ll hand them the other one. I almost burst into tears. We actually hugged in the valet pickup! Couldn’t help myself – I hugged her neck. Had a tear. She did too. Actually told me what a nice person I am! How I had helped her? I didn’t do a thing! Where do these beautiful people come from?
And now there is Wil. Married mom. Two preschool kids. Training for Ironman. Teacher. I never met her. Don’t know where she lives. But she took the time to read my first blog post and just welcome me. Gave me encouragement. And then there was the William post. And the kindness Wil showed me was just beyond the beyonds. I never thought anyone would read it. Was actually worried that someone would read it. I haven’t gotten a chance to get back to her yet and thank her for everything. But I certainly will. And I’ll try to find someway to let her know how beautiful her heart is and how much what she has done means to me. It’ll never be enough and yet she’ll know and understand. I want to say “check out her blog,” but I want to ask first to be sure she won’t mind. If you do check it you’ll be awed and inspired. Thank you Wil!! I’m sending good thoughts, strength and anything else you may need!
Blessings to you all – the friends I have and the ones I’ve yet to meet!
I met a beautiful woman at my Doctor’s office a couple of weeks ago. I have “complex migraines.” And Post Traumatic Stress. (And a couple of thousand other things, as well) I drive the BELTWAY to and from work everyday. If you don’t know the Beltway, you just can’t imagine. It’s fast, or slow and sometimes both. Eighty mph to 0 in 3 seconds. Or less. Volume. Weaving. Well, I had an appointment that a.m. before work. I picked a Dr. office near my work. (I live in MD, work in VA. Around 38 miles. Should take, what? A half hour? Forty-five minutes? Nope – one to two hours. Five days a week.) So I’m late, of course, lost, because I usually go to the Dr. from my office, not from home. And I’m panicked. I’d missed my last appt. Got charged for it. The whole nine. Don’t/CAN’T miss today. I need my refills. Anyway. They have valet parking. Time I get there I’m already 10 minutes late. Finding a space will take 15 to 20 minutes more. I have no cash. Yes, it’s free valet parking, but still, ya gotta tip. I decide I’ll do it anyway. Let them park my car, run into the Dr. and have a migraine attack. Fine. ‘ere what. On the way out to pay, I helped a very nice lady find her way to the checkout. Told her to go ahead first, I’m not in a hurry. Sweet little boy and his daddy ahead of us both. We both talk to the little boy. She pays. Leaves. I pay. Leave. Start to panic, (again) because now I’m leaving and I don’t have a thing to give them. I’ll pretend to be snooty or something. Pretend I don’t know about tipping. Give the guy my ticket and off he goes to get my car. “Nice lady” comes out of the building. We exchange pleasantries again. She says, “How much do you usually tip?” Well, I have no filter from my brain to my mouth. I tell her usually a dollar or two. (Because truthfully I never have used the valet before!) Then, like some sort of I don’t even know what, I hear myself telling her. How embarrassed I am because I didn’t think I was going to use the valet, that I was running late and didn’t want to be later and I HAD to do it and now I have no money and I could crawl in a hole from the embarrassment. She’s says, “I have two dollars. Tell you what, you take one and tip that and I’ll use the other.” I’m horrified. Try to explain that I didn’t mean, didn’t want, I'm fine, really. So sorry! She basically told me she had the two dollars to tip with, what’s a dollar, it’s basically going to the same place anyway, why don’t I just hand them one and she’ll hand them the other one. I almost burst into tears. We actually hugged in the valet pickup! Couldn’t help myself – I hugged her neck. Had a tear. She did too. Actually told me what a nice person I am! How I had helped her? I didn’t do a thing! Where do these beautiful people come from?
And now there is Wil. Married mom. Two preschool kids. Training for Ironman. Teacher. I never met her. Don’t know where she lives. But she took the time to read my first blog post and just welcome me. Gave me encouragement. And then there was the William post. And the kindness Wil showed me was just beyond the beyonds. I never thought anyone would read it. Was actually worried that someone would read it. I haven’t gotten a chance to get back to her yet and thank her for everything. But I certainly will. And I’ll try to find someway to let her know how beautiful her heart is and how much what she has done means to me. It’ll never be enough and yet she’ll know and understand. I want to say “check out her blog,” but I want to ask first to be sure she won’t mind. If you do check it you’ll be awed and inspired. Thank you Wil!! I’m sending good thoughts, strength and anything else you may need!
Blessings to you all – the friends I have and the ones I’ve yet to meet!
2 comments:
Oh wow!!! This was so nice of you! My jaw dropped when I came to my name while reading your post. You're so sweet to include me!
I think that you must just be one of those people who attracts nice people like the valet parking lady. Call it Karma paying you back for a bunch of other junk that you shouldn't have had to go through.
And thank you so much for saying that about my blog, of course I don't mind! It's a bunch of craziness, but then again, most things are. Good thing, huh?
You're really incredible and I'm so glad that I stumbled upon your blog that first day! Keep up the amazing writing!
How funny As I was reading your post I was returning a wrong phone number to tell someone that the person they were trying to reach wasn't me.
I feel better now. You sound like a wonderful person Molly thank you for finding my blog and introducing your self.
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