12/12/2025
I was just at Costco, looking like a contestant on Supermarket Sweep 😂 and I was trying to scoot by a woman and I saw that her eyelashes were all wet from tears and she clearly was crying…not dramatic, just trying to hold herself together.
But I stopped and asked if she was okay? And she looked at me and gave a little chuckle and said, “oh my gosh, how embarrassing. I’m fine sweetheart.” And she tried to smile but then she just kept talking and told me that her daughter is coming home from college for Christmas, but it’s going to be the first Christmas without her dad 🥺 She said, “I just want it to be perfect for her. I’m trying to find the right gifts, but nothing feels right.”
I cracked a joke to try and make her laugh and said, “well, as someone who has been told many times, by many people, that I’m a nightmare to shop for…trust me, we don’t care about the gift as much as the moment. Maybe you can start a new cute tradition or something?” She nodded and told me that was a good idea. I asked her if I could give her a hug, and hug we did.
I wished her luck, and a Merry Christmas and I walked off to do my shopping. But awhile later I was walking by this woman again and she pointed at her cart and there was a bunch of baking stuff, and it looked like a gingerbread house kit, and I definitely saw a s’mores skillet thing. And she gave me a cute little wink.
This is why I look up when I’m in public. A stranger was overwhelmed with the pressure to create a flawless holiday, and I think that our 2 minute exchange pulled her out of that…even if it were just for that Costco trip. 🫶🫶🫶