I was in the grocery store this morning loading the conveyor belt with the few things I needed to be prepared for the week ahead. "Long Night?" the man behind me said. I was dressed in my scrubs, hair pulled back in a clip and no makeup on... a badge that reads Modern Day Midwife in pink across the bottom. I replied, "Yeah, long night. But here I am... getting my Sunday mom list checked off before the start of a new week." He smiled warmly at me and said, "Yeah me too, dad list." The man bagging my groceries was an older gentleman who was clearly coming off shift after working all night and he said, "I'll do one more, for this beautiful lady right here." He smiled, winked, and bagged up my groceries. I noticed his tired eyes too, his lines around his eyes told a story of a life filled with laughter, hard-work, and some deeper lines filled with worry. I turned to both the bagger in front of me and the gentlemen checking out behind me as well as the sweet young clerk who had just rung me up and said, "Have a great day guys." I smiled and moved towards the parking lot. I felt hopeful. My heart felt full and I was reminded that this world is in fact... filled with some really good people.
See the media, the news, and people, myself included sometimes hyper focus on all the bad things this world has to offer. When you are tired, busy, and not taking the time to reflect and be present... it is really easy to look around and wonder if the world is or has gone mad. When you slow down you have the time to see the little things that happen in your day to day. The kind smile from the gentlemen at the store. The bagger who worked all night, who could have very easily hurried off, but didn't. The lady on the scooter who whispered, "Thank you ma'am for all you do." Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves and our struggles that we do not see all the beauty that surrounds us. In less than one hour I experienced three acts of kindness to start this beautiful Sunday.
Moral of my story mama? Worried about the world we live in? Think everyone is going mad and wondering where God is? He is right here. You can find him in the eyes of the bagger. In the genuine and modest hello from the gentlemen in the grocery store line. His voice can be heard in the words of praise given by the lady on the scooter as she passed by. He is very much here and everywhere. The early morning sunrise. The clouds and sun in our sky. He is in the mountains and on the golf course as the sun goes down. He can be found in the innocent laughter coming from our babies or the sweet and unexpected embrace from your teenager. Sometimes we get so busy that we cannot hear or see him. But do not loose hope dear mama... he is everywhere, you just have to slow down and pay attention to see him.
Happy Sunday!!!!
With love,
Modern Day Midwife
