I have the best friends. I say it all the time because I truly feel that way. Life is a cycle and I am ever thankful for the true blue friends that I have from years ago, to the new friends the Lord brings across my path, I am so blessed.
So this last week, I made a new, older friend, at my favorite grocery store, Aldi. You know, I am just realizing that last week’s post started the same way… I ran into the store with my bullet journal open and my pen ready to mark off items on my grocery list. I had just made it to produce when I saw my new friend. Now at this point, she was not my friend yet. When I first glanced at her, it was while I was waiting for her to finishing perusing the oranges so I could get to the lemons which were just past the oranges. She was in the way of where I wanted to be. So, I patiently waited for her to inspect the bags and put one in her cart and move on. She was so lovely from her profile, dressed in a beautiful bright cable knit cardigan sweater that matched the blue flowers in her skirt perfectly. She had hose on with her sandals and there was something about her that reminded me of my Aunt Alice and the shape of her ears made me think of my dear grandpa Garrett.
She moved intentionally as if the years she had lived taught her a lesson about life.
After I checked off lemons and blackberries, I rounded the next aisle to get The Salesman iceberg lettuce because he requested it. He is not a fan of the *froofy* organic mixed greens I buy and asked me this last week just why I bought that *froof* when he didn’t like it a bit, just give him some lettuce…some lettuce, cheese, and bacon, and no *froof*… And guess who was there standing looking at the iceberg lettuce? Yes, my new friend. I waited again as I wondered if she had a Salesman at home that she was buying for or if she just really liked iceberg lettuce herself. It was while she was picking her lettuce that I noticed a cane hanging over the edge of her cart. She inched forward slowly with her handbag on her left arm to the bags of jalapeño peppers. I watched as her well worn and withered hands moved over the bags, then she stopped and ever-so-slowly stooped down to get close to the placard displaying the price. Her move was oh so guarded while she held on to the box the jalapeño bags were in. Here I was waiting again for this older woman to select her produce. She was quite lovely. I was making an effort to enjoy my wait. We were on one other aisle together before we both made it to the meat department. She arrived before I did and I watched her pick up stew meat, inspect it, bend ever so slowly to look at the price and then return it to the bin. She did the same with a roast. It was when she picked up the bison meat, that looked exactly like ground beef, that I greeted her and we talked about the meat. I reached to a high shelf and got her ground beef; but, after she inspected it and then found the price placard, she handed it back to me and told me she would shop elsewhere because of the price.
We had a good talk right there in the meat department. As I was waiting to get to the yogurt, my new friend was at the refrigerated doors getting sour cream. There was another lady about my age waiting to get into the area of the refrigerated items. I was so thankful this other lady was patient too. One day this now elderly lady was our age and zipped around the store with ease and agility. I am guessing by her pace, my new friend knew her eighties very well. I knew the routine now that we’d made it to the final Aldi aisle: she would pick one sour cream up, hold onto something while she looked at the price placard, and then decide if it were going back or to her cart. After she patiently decided to put the sour cream in her cart and moved on, I looked for my yogurt and jetted to the check-out, thankful I’d met this lovely woman that I’d waited on at several stops in the store.
After I checked out, I saw her standing in a check-out line and asked the clerk if I could leave my cart after I’d paid to go give her something. Yes, I could leave my cart and I am so glad that I did. When I handed her a small bag I wanted her to have, I wish you could have seen her face brighten up like the sun. Her broken Polish poured out with such thanksgiving. We chatted and had the best little visit right there in the check out line. She offered to make me a sweater, scarf or hat and told me she had made her beautiful cable knit cardigan. I could not understand every word she said; but she had also lived in Illinois at one time in her life, and was familiar with my hometown. She offered me her phone number and of course I asked her if I could take her picture. She has a beautiful smile.
This woman was beautiful to me. Beauty is not wrapped up in an exterior of a smooth complexion or outward perfection. Her beauty came with her years. Beauty of intentional steps, kind words, and gentle ways. So while the world may be trying to sell us creams to reduce our wrinkles, my new, Aldi friend, is beautiful to me.
