Running late, running fast, needed to grab a few groceries en route of my hastened journey...
Standing in line at the butchers/fish monger, I again watch the ladies behind the counter. I go out of my way to go to this butcher as the people that work there are so lovely. These ladies are such generous souls. Hard working, nothing special to look at, but warm and giving no matter how busy they are, how tired they seem...
The lady bedside me was ordering a portion of marinara mix,
"Does it have any salmon in it?"
"Not today it seems." the warm lady replied as she served.
The woman's face fell a little, then suddenly she went into a momentary facial contortion resulting in an enormous sneeze!
I smiled as I reached in my bag for a tissue,
"Bless you!"
She stared at me, astonished for a moment, then was taken by another sneeze.
I laughed, "I should have waited for the last one. Bless you again."
Her face then contorted into abrupt and brutal tears. As I reached for the entire package of tissues, the crowd about us silenced, she stuttered between gasping sobs,
"That's the... nicest... thing anyone... has said for...long time..."
I was running late, running fast, had no time to stop...so I took her arm and gently steered her to a cafe nearby, sitting her down. We ordered coffee and as we did, two of the ladies that had just been serving joined us. They had asked to take their break early in order to join us. More coffee was ordered, and another woman from the crowd asked if she might take a seat.
As we chatted, laughing, her tears drying upon her tired cheeks, a young guy delivered two bags to us both: our orders from the butcher. He said to her,
"We put lots of salmon in your marinara mix, ma'am."
New tears fell across her smiling face.
I explained to all that I was running late, people were waiting. Saying my goodbyes, I handed the waitress enough money to cover all of their coffees. Then off I ran, fast...in my departing ears the warm generous laughter of a table of strangers.
No matter how fast you're running, its never too urgent for a "bless you".
Standing in line at the butchers/fish monger, I again watch the ladies behind the counter. I go out of my way to go to this butcher as the people that work there are so lovely. These ladies are such generous souls. Hard working, nothing special to look at, but warm and giving no matter how busy they are, how tired they seem...
The lady bedside me was ordering a portion of marinara mix,
"Does it have any salmon in it?"
"Not today it seems." the warm lady replied as she served.
The woman's face fell a little, then suddenly she went into a momentary facial contortion resulting in an enormous sneeze!
I smiled as I reached in my bag for a tissue,
"Bless you!"
She stared at me, astonished for a moment, then was taken by another sneeze.
I laughed, "I should have waited for the last one. Bless you again."
Her face then contorted into abrupt and brutal tears. As I reached for the entire package of tissues, the crowd about us silenced, she stuttered between gasping sobs,
"That's the... nicest... thing anyone... has said for...long time..."
I was running late, running fast, had no time to stop...so I took her arm and gently steered her to a cafe nearby, sitting her down. We ordered coffee and as we did, two of the ladies that had just been serving joined us. They had asked to take their break early in order to join us. More coffee was ordered, and another woman from the crowd asked if she might take a seat.
As we chatted, laughing, her tears drying upon her tired cheeks, a young guy delivered two bags to us both: our orders from the butcher. He said to her,
"We put lots of salmon in your marinara mix, ma'am."
New tears fell across her smiling face.
I explained to all that I was running late, people were waiting. Saying my goodbyes, I handed the waitress enough money to cover all of their coffees. Then off I ran, fast...in my departing ears the warm generous laughter of a table of strangers.
No matter how fast you're running, its never too urgent for a "bless you".
MHH2012
