It was just a Saturday trip to the home improvement store looking for potting soil, Christmas greens and a new head for the shower. To be honest, it is not my favorite location for shopping, even during the holiday season.
Funny how the smallest, most ordinary moments can become the most meaningful.
As we entered the store, someone sneezed. My husband, unbeknownst to me, said “Bless you.” to the young man as we made our way to the back of the store for that shower head. There were so many choices of shower heads with various features. If you have been to one of the home improvement stores, you know that what might be hanging on the wall is not always what’s on the shelf. As we looked, discussed whether we needed one with four massage settings and picked up one or two, we heard a voice.
“Thank you for blessing me.”
I had no idea where the voice was coming from, and even less what it was talking about. I hadn’t heard the sneeze or the blessing that followed.
“It was so kind of you to take the time to bless me after I sneezed.” he said.
I had some sense of what had happened now.
“I have some shower heads over here, on sale. Unless you need something special, this one might work. It’s on clearance.”
Simple was all we needed.
His next comment was, in these times, just as surprising.
“I’ll give you an extra five dollars off. The world is so crazy these days, and it’s good to be kind. Thanks for your kindness.”
It was just a simple “Bless you.” The clearance price and the added money off were nice, but the real value was in this simple, beautiful human interaction in the aisles of that store. The recognition that we are humans in this chaotic world, and no matter the setting or situation, always have time for kindness.
It is the holiday season now, the time when everything seems to need to be bigger, more. More presents, bigger decorations, just more. Perhaps the real gifts we receive are these little moments of humanity, occasions of kindness and love.
The little things really are the big things.
