Please Allow Me the Honor of… Helping🛒

As the weeks go by during this unprecedented time of social distancing, we are constantly reminded that we must stay away from others to keep the most vulnerable safe in our communities.  How do we do that yet remain kind to others and help those that need help?  I ask myself this question daily as I go about my daily life. 

              For example, early last week, I was at the grocery store and a had an elderly lady in front of me in line at the cash register.  She was struggling as she loaded her small amount of groceries onto the conveyor belt.  This lovely lady had some sort of disability that obstructed her mobility and motor skills and she was alone.  As she struggled to load her groceries onto the belt and pull her cash out of her wallet to pay, I kept thinking to myself, I need to help make this moment easier for her.  How do I do that without invading her “social distancing space”? 

              Luckily my husband was with me that day to deal with our groceries.  I was able to get this woman’s attention and asked her if she would give me the honor of helping her get her groceries loaded into her car.  This lovely woman refused my offer but thanked me profusely and she went slowly on her way.  We continued to check out with our needed allotment of groceries and headed out to the parking lot. 

              To my surprise, the lovely stranger was still at her car, that was parked up front in handicapped parking.  She was standing at the back door of the vehicle with the door wide open looking inside, at the back seat.  I had my husband go to our car with groceries, while I approached her again and asked her one more time if I could please help her load her groceries into her car.  She was so sweet, and this time she allowed me to help her. 

              She explained to me that a few years ago she started having seizures and a stroke which left her partially paralyzed on her left side.  She said she had been an emergency room nurse for over 30 years and thought that working on her feet all those years may have contributed to her seizures.  I so badly want to give this sweet, courageous woman a hug but knew, for her sake, that I shouldn’t.   I thanked her several times for her service to the health care industry and for helping people.  I bid her farewell as I took her grocery cart to the cart corral. 

              Ever since that day, I have struggled with the notion that certain acts of kindness may have to end because of fear.  I was almost too afraid to offer my services because I didn’t want to inadvertently cause this beautiful woman harm.  Yet how do I, as a human being, stand back and watch another human being struggle when I know I can help?   That moment affected me deeply and continues to do so as I navigate through what this “new normal” means to me. 

Be Well My Friends!

K