Customers, Cliches, and Kindness

(I realize the letters in the title are different, but they sound similar.  It works for me!)

Working as a cashier leads to many interesting experiences with customers.  Some just pass through, pretty much unnoticed.  Others, I remember.  It might be for extreme levels of attitude, such as the lady who returned all of her items because a cashier took too long.  Or, instead for a really funny comment like the guy who told me he didn't want to be female because we have to make the babies.  Or, like this sweet little girl who said I was pretty, did something beautiful and memorable. 

After a week, I think there are three customers that will stay with my memory for a while. One filled my heart to bursting.  One made me think.  One made me cry. 

A mother (about 80) came to the store with her adult son.  He couldn't walk because he just had reconstructive surgery and his mom had a problem with her memory.  They were looking at some rather expensive ($30) items by my register before they actually started shopping.  At one point, the son came over to me and asked if I could help him with something.  So when they came to my register, I rang up all her items.  Then, I turned and told her she could have one of the items in front of my register for free.  Her son kept her busy for a second while I added it to his total.    It was truly beautiful!  She was ecstatic and he was tickled pink that it had worked out.   I just smiled the rest of the day.

Most of you know that I smile frequently.  It's a pretty good skill to have at a job where I'm constantly interacting with people.  One gentleman commented "You look like the kind of person that never has a bad day."  To be honest, I had been in a really bad mood that day!  I didn't really want to be at work again and the smile was not the most genuine.  I kind of laughed his comment off at first and replied that I do have bad days, I just ignore it.  On his way out, he told me that the only thing that matters is perspective and I'll have a much better life if I keep on smiling.

 The last customer I will remember was an older woman.  She was asking about different angel statues we have.  When I handed her the one she was looking at, I found out that she was making an arrangement for her best friend's granddaughter's funeral.  The 16 year old girl had committed suicide a few days before this.  We talked for a few minutes and she was hurting so deeply, not for herself, but for this young girl's family.  I told her about To Write Love on Her Arms and the work they do to help support teens in this situation.  When she came through my checkout line, I promised to pray for the 16 year old girl and her entire family.  With Mother's Day yesterday, I can't imagine how difficult the funeral was today.  If you have a spare moment today, please send up a small prayer for the girl's soul and the peace of mind in her family.