A Pearl on a String

Ahead of me standing in line at Target this morning was an older woman, small, gray-haired, and soft-spoken. I stepped closer to her and observed that she was standing in the long line to buy a single loaf of bread. So, I warmly commented, “You’re standing in line to buy a single loaf of bread.” “ Yes”, she kindly replied, “This is the only store that sells thinly sliced bread for his sandwiches.” “Oh, really?” I replied with interest. “Yes, I’ve been married for 47 years, and he has lung cancer. So, I get him what he likes.” Our conversation continued as she shared a bit of her life caring for her ill husband. “God, only gives us what we can handle,” She says as she raises her eyes to the sky, and pleads, “Turn it down lord.” I tell her I don’t agree with that belief anymore. I tell her I believe there are things in life that can be too much for a person to handle or cope with, and when this is the case the person might numb out or find a way to tune out their overwhelming difficulty. She turns to me and says, “Talking with someone like you makes me feel better, and helps me to carry on.” My heart just opened and tears began to pool in my eyes. I raised my arm to embrace her. Right there, standing in line at Target, we embraced each other , our hearts wide open. A moment, like a pearl on a string, precious beyond anything going on around us. And here I thought I was shopping for a new bathing suit, but now I know that Life brought me to Target for Its own reasons .