Last week, those of us here in the United States celebrated Thanksgiving, a time to be thankful for one's blessings. If ever there was a perfect time for the feeling of Love4OneAnother, this would be one of those times in my opinion. That's why I am writing this post. To share an experience I had a couple of days before Thanksgiving.
It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I was at the grocery store doing my weekly shopping. The store was more crowded than usual, which is common this time of year, as people are preparing for their big Thanksgiving dinners. While walking down one of the aisles, I noticed an elderly lady (probably in her mid- to late 70s) on one of those motorized shopping carts. She looked like she was in distress as she had a very worried look on her face. I asked her, "Ma'am, is everything okay?" She replied, "I can't turn my cart around." I asked her why not and she said, "No one will let me." As she looked around wildly at everyone rushing by her. I told her that wasn't a problem. I took my cart and blocked the aisle in front of her and then walked behind her and told everyone to hold up for a moment. She was able to get her cart turned around with no problem, thanked me and headed on to the next aisle. I told everyone else thanks for waiting and then headed to the next aisle. When I got there, I saw the same lady struggling to get an item off the top shelf. So I walked over and got it for her. We made our way down the aisle together and I helped her get three or four more items before we got to the end of the aisle. When we got to the end of the aisle, she turned to the right while I turned left.
As I am walking away, another woman approached me and said, "Sir, I think your mother went the other way." I laughed and told her that wasn't my mother and that I had never met her before today. The lady said she saw me helping her and assumed it was my mother and I told her, "Nope, never seen her before today." So then the lady asked me the question that triggered this post. She asked me, "Then why did you help her?" I was shocked!!! I looked at the lady and asked her to repeat her question. She said, "If you don't know her, then why did you help her?" I looked her straight in the eyes and said, "That's not the question you should be asking. The question you should be asking is why didn't YOU help her? That's what you should be asking. Have a Happy Thanksgiving." I then turned and walked away. When I got to the end of the aisle, I looked back and the woman was still standing in the same place thinking about what I said. Hopefully I opened up her mind if just for a minute.
This elderly lady needed help and I helped her. I didn't know her but I didn't need to because that's what we are supposed to do. For that one moment in time, that lady and I were in Paisley Park! Isn't that what Love4OneAnother is all about? Shouldn't this be the true spirit of Thanksgiving? Shouldn't this be what the human race strives to achieve? Then again, am I just a dreamer too?
Love4OneAnother! Love4EachOther! Love4UsAll! Peace!
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