An Inkling

Rushing through aisle after aisle she gathered items on her lengthy grocery list for the following day. She wielded her cart between rushing crowds at every turn. As she neared the checkout line she relaxed knowing her cart was full of all she needed for a successful thanksgiving day. Her cart even held a few luxury items she'd splurged on. She quickly unloaded her cart and marveled at her efficiency. She separated perishables and canned goods with ease of storage at home in mind. As she waited patiently in line she noticed a man in front of her with one item he quietly held in his hand.

The casually dressed man gingerly placed the single item on the moving conveyor belt. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him digging in his pockets for spare change. He placed each pile of coins on the counter and counted them out as he went. She looked behind her and saw the line was full of many impatient folks with carts piled higher than even her own. The man seemed uncomfortable as if he rarely ventured to the grocery store. His mouth moved around in a methodical way. As he dug deep in his pockets for change, she noticed a wedding band on his left hand. She imagined him returning home with his one item and wondered what his wife was like.

Standing there, she began to feel slightly uncomfortable at her wondering about a perfect stranger in front of her in line. But as she stood there an inkling, an idea, came to her mind. She looked in her wallet and noticed she had an extra $20 bill. She thought to give the man the bill but wondered if she would offend him. She decided to wait till he left the line and catch up with him as he left the store. She gave the checker her discount card and grocery bags to pack and ran to catch up with the man.

She walked up to the man and tapped him on the arm and said "Excuse me sir." He turned to face her with a melancholy look on his face. She handed him the $20 and he immediately refused. But she insisted and said someone had done the same for her so she was returning the favor to him. He was very hesitant but she could see in an instant the $20 was a welcome sight to him. He gingerly took the bill and looked at the bill like it was golden coin. She was sure the bill wouldn't amount to much in his life, but to her it was a golden moment learning to focus on others.

Happy Thanksgiving