This past Sunday, I escorted two senior pals to the grocery store. This is a usual routine for me. I was pleasantly surprised that my fiance joined us. He usually doesn’t enjoy going to the store with other people, but this time, he said, “sure, let’s go together.” Little did either of us know what some friends had planned.
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\nSo there we are, going up and down different aisles, helping my friends find things on their lists, or retrieve items on shelves that are too high, when I hear some singing. I looked up, and saw a group of 10 of my senior pals at the end of the aisle. They were singing a Christmas carol that I love, especially when sung a cappella. My two senior pals came up behind me, and gently nudged me forward, as I had stopped in my tracks with my jaw dropped open, completely in shock.<\/p>\n
My friends were joyfully singing. Other shoppers stopped, and some of them joined in. My fiance stood behind me, equally in shock, but not surprised. He told me later that he didn’t know this was going to happen, but as close as my senior pals are to me, he thought it was a great gesture of friendship and love. (Especially when I insisted that they NOT bring me cookies this year! My fiance cannot eat them due to his ongoing diet restrictions, and I do not want the temptation and resulting weight-gain.)<\/p>\n
My pals sang four carols, ending with “Silent Night”. Everyone around — Christian, Jewish, Muslim — doesn’t matter — all smiled, sang, and shared cheer. Right in sprawling suburbia and in the middle of a busy grocery store at mid-day. <\/p>\n
My community can be a small town when it wants to be. My friends sure know how to share joy, love, and kindness.<\/p>\n
THIS is what Christmas is all about.<\/p>\n
Life is short: show those you love how you love them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This past Sunday, I escorted two senior pals to the grocery store. This is a usual routine for me. I was pleasantly surprised that my fiance joined us. He usually doesn’t enjoy going to the store with other people, but … Continue reading