A Penny For Your Thoughts

You know those moments that happen every few days if not every day, the ones where things just don't go as planned?  I unloaded the shopping cart and grabbed my purse to pay.  The problem was my purse was empty.  My wallet was gone.... Of course, my mind raced to someone stealing it, until I remembered I had gotten gas on our way to Walmart.  I quickly put everything back in my basket and asked if I could keep it there while I ran with the girls to the van to find it.  Right before I opened the car door, Alexandrea looks at me with panic and says "I have to go potty really really bad!"  Relieved my wallet was sitting on the passenger seat I grabbed it.  I grabbed the girls hands and ran back to the store.  Isa stopped us in the middle of the cross walk to grab a penny.  "Really!" I thought, "A Penny."  As we picked up our pace, she whispered,  "thank you God for this penny."  She was so happy.  Why is it so hard for we adults to stop and be thankful for the pennies in our lives.

As we're running to the washroom I quickly glanced to make sure my basket was still there.  I could just picture a clerk thinking it was items to put back.  I really didn't want to go through the whole shopping process again.  Rushing the girls to finish in the potty, I saw the forever line.  I looked around for another register.  Sheila Welsh had said something along the line of "when she gets rerouted, she has learned to look for opportunities to brighten another's day."  I saw her, a clerk with no one in her line.  She looked as if she would prefer no one to be in her line.  By the time I got my basket, the girls were somewhat falling apart.  What was supposed to be a quick stop had turned into an hour event.  I smiled at the clerk and tried to make light of my kids running around.  She wasn't having it.  She wanted no interaction with me at all.  As I paid and turned to walk away, there was Isa handing her the penny accompanied by the words "Thank you for working here."  The clerk's face lit up and we were gone.

This is not the first time Isa has thanked people for doing their job.  She learned this from her Dad, who always thanks the military for protecting us.  I have seen Isa thank soldiers, TSA workers, the security guard at our pool and now the Walmart clerk.  Every time they smile, watch her walk away and shake their head.  They're a lot of people I just expect to do their job.  Instead I'll try to take on Isa's point of view and be grateful.

PS....... after I wrote this Alexandrea's prayer was for the lady at the store......