At the Grocery Store

Dear CeeCee,

Breathtaking, that's what your actions caused last week! Let me explain.  You and I had never knowingly seen the other before.  True, we probably live in the same community that abuts the grocery store.  But I certainly couldn't pick you out of any kind of line-up.  The store was packed with last-day-of-the-year shoppers.  Even the "Self Checkout" lanes stretched down the aisle to a different area.

Both arms cradled packaged, frozen pie shells, chopped scallions and red peppers from produce, heavy cream from the cold case, and a four-piece bag of deli fried chicken.  I simply stopped when I scanned the line and asked you of no one in particular, "Does this line go all the way back to Wyoming?"My goodness! It'll take forever!"

"Don't worry; it's moving pretty fast.

"Oh, no!"

Tell you what," you said.  "Put your stuff in my cart.  It's okay.  You look so much like my son's grandmother, just stand here with me."

Dazed at the turtle speed of it all, I did as you suggested, while you called a clerk over to lift two super heavy bags of ice to be scanned. 

"Just scan your items and I'll pay for your stuff," you noted.

"WHAT?"

"Yes," you said, sounding somewhat impatient.  "Just swipe your card but I'll pay for your stuff.  I told you that you could be my son's grandmother," you explained.  I acquiesced. 

When I finished scanning, "I want to say a heartfelt, "Thank you!  You don't know me from Adam's housecat but you just demonstrated love as God commanded," I stumbled over my gratitude. Still, I felt compelled to say it aloud.  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might"(Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV).  Don't ask me why because I couldn't tell you; the words just tumbled out. 

"Well, that didn't take long at all," Catherine exclaimed.   "This lot is packed!"

I tried to describe what'd just happened but didn't do an adequate job, so I settled in a kind of reverie as she drove me home.

Then it hit me like a sucker punch! Privately, I'd been moping about my Courtney's New Year Eve's birthday and had tried to keep busy, distracting from thinking about the significance of the day.  I planned to go home and cook and cook and cook so I wouldn't feel the ineffable loss, wouldn't feel anything. 

Amazingly, your sensitivity and natural ease helped me turn from feelings of loneliness and bereavement, from having what Mother would call "A pity party." In that instance, I recognized a little of the way the Holy Spirit was at work, how the Holy Spirit had directed your path and mine.

"You're an angel." What's your name?'

"CeeCee."

"Thank you some more, CeeCee."

OMGoodness! A two-syllable name, yes, but quite similar to Courtney's nickname, "CoCo," from birth, "

CeeCee, you'll never know how much I appreciate your willingness to break an unspoken elementary school rule of "no butting" a line.  I've spent the rest of Courtney's birthday rejoicing that I look like your son's grandmother and remembering Courtney's birth and death from a new perspective.  Truly Love is Spirit and Spirit never dies! 

(Of course, you couldn't have known how age-sensitive I've been since "age shaming" has joined the growing roster expressing society's ever-increasing "rules," Instead, I now see "Grandmother" as a compliment, as Grand Mother, a badge of courage and longevity).

I hope we meet again, CeeCee, but if we don't, you'll always herald a New Year of love, hope, peace, and prosperity,  And the sass of a grandmother! You're emblematic of a New Year chock full of blessings for me. Bring 'em on! Thank you, CeeCee.

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