One day last week I stopped to pick up a few things at the grocery store. When I came out, it was raining kind of hard. Being a senior citizen on social security, heart-attack survivor, and short person, I don’t move too fast, but I was clipping along as quickly as my little squatty legs could carry me, holding my head down and to one side in an effort to keep the rain out of my face.
As I crossed to the first row of the parking lot, a woman I would guess was in her early 70’s was coming toward me holding a large black umbrella over her head. She stopped right behind my car, which was in the first handicap spot, and when I approached, she said to me, “Would you like to get under my umbrella until you get to your car?”
I said something like “Oh, no – this is me right here, but thanks anyway.” She said I was welcome and went on toward the store entrance. I put my purchases in the car, got in, and drove off. And promptly forgot all about it.
Until this morning. I was walking to my car in a different parking lot, and it was either raining or snowing (or both), and as I put my head down against the wetness, it suddenly reminded me of the complete stranger who had been willing to go out of her way to walk me to my car under her big black umbrella.
Such uncommon kindness should not be forgotten; should, in fact, be celebrated, if by no other means than a public acknowledgement.
Thank you, kind lady, whoever you are.
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