No time for a Costco run tomorrow…
A teenager with his parents there tonight pleaded with me to let him help me. I told him it would make my day so much easier if he got that box of milk (2 gallons, 15 pounds) off the bottom of the cart where the clerk had put it and back on up into the thing.
He was glad to be able to do something. His mom was glad I let him. Good people.
Then as I got to my car, having peeled off in a different direction from them, it hit me by surprise that I was tired–who knew. I wished it were easier with this whole funky balance/holding a cane/maneuvering the groceries thing. The moment of regret at the guy who smashed my car 12 years ago snuck up and pounced on me ever so briefly as I swatted the thought away: shut up. It is what it is.
A middle-aged man walking by just then took a step right back and asked, Can I help you get that in there for you?
I was so not expecting that. And so he did. I thanked him profusely and wished I could do something back–and then noticed he was walking with a definite spring in his step now as he waved goodbye. A good man.
And so a chocolate hazelnut torte is in the oven right now just because I wished I could offer them each a piece, whoever they all were.
Our daughter-in-law Kim and her Mom and Parker are in town for Kim’s cousin’s wedding. They stopped by late this afternoon between airport and rehearsal dinner and we got a short visit before they had to run, glad for what time we could have. I confess no pictures yet: I didn’t want a camera between us, I wanted simply to be us.
Parker is even cuter. Even very tired, he is a total charmer. Kim is a sweetheart. Her mother shows where they get their good-natured selves from. We are all so blessed.
And tomorrow we get to see more of them and I can’t wait. Chocolate hazelnut torte was, again, the best food celebration I could think of. (I know, I know, they have a whole wedding, foodwise. I’ll take whatever excuse I can get. I just plain wanted to make one.)
Parker, 18 months+, blew me a kiss goodbye from his carseat on their way out as his mom and grandma exclaimed in delight with me. The Granny who lives close to him had called me a Granny too. Worked for him.