Earth Angel

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In the Aldi carpark this afternoon, l was making the trek back with the trolley after putting my groceries in the car, and l came across an elderly lady.

The lady was unpacking her trolley and it was blocking the throughfare. She tried to move her trolley out of my way, but l smiled and told her l was happy to wait and to take her time. At one point she let go of her trolley and l reached out to stop it from hitting a parked car. She jokingly commented that she wasn’t having a good day, and l found myself saying, “if you’re alive and kicking, it’s a good day”, to which she smiled and agreed.

We silently wheeled our trollies back together and after she had put her trolley in the bay and retrieved her token she said, “thank you for the reminder about being alive today. I needed that, especially since my best friend died three days ago”. She commented that she was relieved as her friend had been very ill.
Then she looked at me, smiled as she emphatically said, “It is good to be alive!”

I commented that l was glad to have met her today and we said goodbye. What this lady didn’t realise is that l was glad to meet her because l also needed the reminder that IT IS good to be alive. When most of my thoughts and tears are preoccupied with the thought of dying so l can ease my emotional pain, her words gave me much-needed hope.

I helped her in a small way, but she saved my life. This lady could have never known the despair behind the mask of my kind smile. Perhaps, we saved each other.

Thank you elderly lady in the carpark at Aldi this afternoon. You were an Earth Angel for me today. We never know what lies behind the masks people wear. The mask might remain but kindness helps heal the soul. – Anon ♥