A few days ago, my mom and i were in the checkout line at the grocery store (that notoriously mystical place where cosmic truths occasionally unveil themselves) when she happily told me that the woman at the cash register had been really kind to her the last time she’d been there. The woman at the register was elderly, with white hair cut short, a slightly hunched back, and placid blue eyes that had a dreamy look to them. As we greeted her, she replied warmly, and my mom mentioned that she’d just been telling me how kind she was the other day. The woman responded with appreciation and magnetic, almost childlike warmth. As she talked to us, the beauty of her words and manners captivated me and i felt so taken with her presence- she was lighthearted, sweet, affectionate, cheerful, polite- mesmerizing qualities that are so easily overlooked in our fast-moving world. She spoke and carried herself like a woman in love with the world, and i felt a rush of affection for her soft, unjaded demeanor.
As i moved to the bagging area and waited, i felt like i was being watched. I glanced up and realized that the man bagging our groceries was looking at me, as if waiting for me to notice him. When our eyes met, he gave me the warmest, sweetest smile. He was a middle-aged man in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair, and his smile reached his eyes, projecting a boyish innocence i rarely see these days. I smiled back and felt an immediate sense of ease and comfort around him, marveling at the uniquely beautiful energies that both his soul and that of the woman seemed to carry.
I know there are a thousand more interesting things to write about than a mundane visit to the supermarket, but brief encounters with strangers like this remind me of how much unbidden, unexpected beauty still exists in the world… they remind me that even in this era of disconnection and polarization, the world is still full of people with lively smiles, soulful eyes, and soft, impossibly tender hearts.
x r
Lilac Muse 