mom boy stuffed dad

i've been at hy-vee for like 2 weeks. i hate grocery shopping. i mean. i really hate it. i like to cook but i want the ingredients to magically appear in front of me as i am cooking. i don't even like to look through the spice cabinet. instead, i yell for james. for real. i am that much of a brat.

anyhoo, i've been needing to make so many trips lately. i've been trying to sneak around the thanksgiving crowds by going at odd times. i've learned, however, there are no odd times at thanksgiving. and the odd times that aren't really that odd are the elderly plus me. bc they hang out there. and seemingly, so do i.

last week i helped one man find the leaf bags. we went all over that store trying to find them. he was so thankful. i have to wonder though as i watched him struggle around the store...how he was actually going to rake his yard? i almost offered my husband to him. not me, of course. remember? i don't even like to grocery shop. add to that, i don't like to rake leaves.

on a different trip, i found another lost one trying to locate grands buttermilk biscuits. after we found them, she giggled and blessed my heart. then asked a tall man to reach them for her. wha? i could've reached them.

yesterday, i made two new friends. one was in the refrigerated juice section looking for V8 so i walked him to aisle 11 to show him the 4' section of tomato juice.

the other was standing behind my overflowing cart of thanksgiving preparations with his bananas and strawberry shortcake. i couldn't let him wait on me but he insisted. his reasoning was "i have no where to go anyway and a whole day to waste". (my heart shattered). during the 10'ish minutes it took for them to scan and for me to pay, i found out that he is a widow, he has many grand kids, even great and great-great grand kids and he wasn't sure where he was spending thanksgiving (heart still shattering)...as i was on the verge of inviting him to ours, he said his great grandson had finally invited him the day before. so as he had started opening up, he then started flirting with my checker, rose. and rose blushed and flirted back. my heart started to mend for him bc now i just know they are getting married and he will always have someplace to go.

so i have fulfilled my volunteer work at hy-vee this week.

next time you see an elderly person with their head down, look them in the eyes and say hello. they are full of life & stories once you get them talking. and sadly, many of them are lonely. lonely by circumstance. not by choice. just step outside of your own world for 5 minutes and step inside someone else's. if you are as lucky as me, one of them will bless your heart.