Today I had an experience that I am not sure what it's purpose was but from the instant it started I heard my inner voice saying "You should write about this." When I first heard it I thought it was because there was some humor in the experience but that's not the direction it took at all.
I ran into Dollar General to pick up a few items. I was looking at shower curtain liners trying to decide if I wanted to buy one or just wash the one that we have now. I felt a tap on my arm and there was an older lady that was of shorter stature than me there. Her brown coat was buttoned up to the top, her hair wind blown and in need of a good curl. She whispered to me "Do you know a good place to get curtains?" I wasn't sure if it was a question she expected me to answer or if she was going to provide me the answer. I waited and she asked "Have you ever heard of The Nest?" I told her that I heard of the place but was not familiar with where it was. She gave me directions and then said excitedly but still whispering "Or you go to Angel on Assignments!" She smiled and then walked on.
I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or be insulted. I looked down at myself and how I was dressed. My inner voice was saying "Angel on Assignments? Isn't that a place that takes donations and then gives away the items. Do I look like I need assistance? What was it about me that made the lady think that I would need assistance?"
I walked on and was looking at colored pencils. I heard a voice that spoke louder this time "I'm following you!" I replied "I think you are" and giggled. She giggled back but continued on her way. Once I moved on to another aisle that negative inner voice said "Please don't let her be down this aisle." I'm normally not one that wants to be bothered with someone when I am shopping. I want to do my thing and move on. If someone I don't know speaks to me, I smile, I am kind, but inside I am thinking "leave me the hell alone".
The lady was not in the next aisle but she found me in the next aisle and tapped me on the arm again. Even though that negative inner voice was saying "No" the other voice was telling me to be open. This inner voice said "She needs to talk to you. Give her your time." So I listened to her. She brought up Angels on Assignment again. Being curious to find out why she thought I should go there I asked her if they sell items. She looked surprised at my question and told me that they do sell items on Friday from 9am-12pm. I told her that I knew they provided assistance but did not know that they do resell too. She then told me about the assistance they provide such as the food pantry, rent and utility assistance and providing items for people that need it. The money they get from resell supports those programs. She told of the items that they sell such as clothes from Chicos and Macys. She said "And if you need a mattress, I don't want you to think of something dirty. These come from Steffy's. These are good mattresses. They donate them. They go to my church."
She continued on to share with me how she spreads the mission of this program. She wasn't bragging about what she does. She was bragging about what the program does for people. She told me of how she tells people about the store when she sees them buying items that they could get there for a better price and of better quality. She continued on to tell me about experiences that some of the workers have had at the store. She told me of how they provided Halloween Costumes, nice ones at that, to two little kids that probably were not going to get Halloween Costumes. She spoke of how their faces lit up when they discovered that they got to take the costumes home. She teared up as she told me about the family they had helped by giving them a wheel chair and bathroom chair because the mom had broken her leg in two different places. She wiped her eyes as she shared that the family in turn donated items back. I realized then that she has experienced this first hand. She must volunteer there.
After getting reassurance from me that she was not keeping me from anything, this lady continued on to share stories of her life with me, right in the middle of the Dollar General aisle.She told me about her great grandson that she takes places such as the Dinosaur park in Carbondale. She showed me his pose from when he climbed to the top of the dinosaurs. She has a "male friend" that has never had children but her great grandchild calls him "Papa" and that it brings him so much joy. She shared that she feels bad for him that he never had children and she teared up again when I told her she shouldn't feel bad for she was giving him that experience by sharing her moments with him. Her face showed she had never thought of that way as she told me "But I am so blessed. I am receiving the blessings." I told her she was giving them as well. I then asked her if I could hug her. By this time, tears were pooling up around the bottom of my eyes and I was just one moment away from them forming into a tear drop that would fall on my face. I didn't care that I was in the middle of Dollar General about to shed tears. I was truly enjoying every moment I was sharing with this woman. I shared with her that I was enjoying the time. I told her that she had me almost in tears because she was reminding me of my times with my grandma. I voiced that she was sharing such special moments with that grandson and that she should continue as long as she could. He is lucky to have them and will cherish them some day. We decided that we needed to finish our shopping. She thanked me for being so sweet.
She ended up behind me in the check out lane. As I was paying she thanked me again for listening. I thanked her for sharing and told her I enjoyed sharing a part of my day with her. She said she hoped to see me again sometime so she could see if I had a fun day and to see how I was doing. I told her I looked forward to that time. And I do. Somewhere down the road we will meet again. I'm not sure exactly what purpose this meeting had. It could be because I needed to feel a reconnection with the precious times I had with my grandma. It could be because she needed someone new to talk to. It could be so that I share about Angel on Assignments and educate someone else on the work they do. I do know that I believe there was an Angel on Assignment that completed their mission when they brought the two of us together for that moment in time we shared.
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