I live very close to a well know convenient store/gas station. I also live in an area that might be considered somewhat of a food desert. This means that there is a fairly constant flow of people to and from the store for all kinds of purchases. When I’m on my patio I make it a point to engage these people with at least a “hello”-if they appear receptive. There is a man who without fail walks past on his way to the convenient store twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. We almost always greet each other. One day, I was on my way to my car and met him on the sidewalk. I said, “Hey, how’re you doing?” He paused and said, “well, actually, I just found out at seven thirty this morning that my mom died.” My mom died in 2015 and I know what a profound loss that is. My knee jerk reaction was, “Man! that’s a hard hit! That’s really tough news. I hope things are okay for you.” I hope I was just the person he needed to see at that moment and I hope my sincere empathy made a difference.
After a recent surgery, I was prohibited from driving for two weeks. I told my friend who drove me to the outpatient procedure that she might as well keep my car because I didn’t need it and if they needed it they would have it there. As it turned out they indeed had a car crisis and could rest easy because my car was there for back up. How perfect! They returned my car with fresh oil and all cleaned and vacuumed-what awesome friends!
My Patio 