Human Kindness at Trader Joe’s

It was a misty moisty morning. Because I had missed my group walk at Walden Pond, I was feeling as cloudy as the weather. Off, then, to do some errands, ending up at Trader Joe’s. I bought squash, cereal, onions, some fish and a few other things. While these were unloaded at the checkout counter, I searched in my messy pocketbook for my wallet. And kept searching. It wasn’t there. “No worries” the cashier told me. “We can hold them here for a few hours.” Since I wasn’t likely to return that day, given the weather and the distance, I asked, her, apologetically, if the items could simply be returned, when a voice behind me said, “I’ll get them.” A young mother, little girl in tow, came over and presented her credit card.

She had heard the exchange at my checkout counter. True to my automatic reflex,  I was about to decline her offer: “Oh, no, thank you, you’re so nice but that’s okay”. However, seeing her open, happy face and beaming smile, I caught myself in time. From her expression it was pretty evident that her gesture of human kindness was important for her to offer.  I accepted. We talked for a few minutes, Katherine from Chelmsford and I, and I told her that I would definitely pay it forward.

Her young daughter witnessed all of this. I bent down and told her, ‘You have a wonderful mother, but I bet you already know this.”

I pushed my grocery cart out the door with wings on my heels and a huge smile on my face. The rain was still slopping down, the sky as gray as ever, traffic on Rte. 119 as backed up as ever.  Yet I was singing and smiling all the way home. I thought about her little girl, who is at that age when children soak up everything like sponges. I believe her mother’s spur of the moment gesture did not go unnoticed. This is a mother who models decent and selfless behavior to her child. It makes my heart glad to know that there are people like her in our community. We need lots of Katherines for children to grow up as good members of society, people who care for each other and the world.

What a difference a moment of kindness makes! Katherine gave me a double gift: her generosity and an opportunity for me to do the same for another.  I hope that moment will come soon.