First Chance To Listen

At least, I hope it was the first time I had been prompted!!! Anyway, yesterday, I dropped Nate off at school, and proceeded to go get gas. I was near Fry's gas, and since I thought there was a chance that I had spent 100 bucks on groceries there in the last month (if so there is a 10 cent per gallon discount), and I needed to buy a few cases of food at their case lot sale anyway, so, just to ensure that expense (which, by the way, didn't come up to 100 bucks, even with the case of tomatoes, tomato sauce and peanut butter) I went to the store first. Their cases were right inside the front door, and I began to look for my tomatoes, when a kind older gentleman (maybe a store greeter) came up to me and tried to help me, saying that a lady yesterday complained that the cases were broken open so the cans could fall out (my silent complaint as well). He helped me, and then we began to talk, and talk...and talk...about his wife who used to shop the sales and knew just when the case lot sales would come, so the food would run out at just the right time, about how she died four years ago, about his granddaughter, her husband and new great grandson that are now living with him, about his men's group at his church and how three of his best friends also lost their wives around the same time, about his wonderful marriage-would have been 49 years last month, I think, about a friend he had met who lost her husband at about the same time and their great conversation at Mimi's cafe the other night, about his hospital stay recently for Valley Fever, and sad and depressed he had gotten, but slowly he brought himself out of it by putting up Christmas decorations, about his visitors Christmas Eve and the best little play that was put on for him with their 10 home schooled children in his family room, about his granddaughter that is going to University of Arizona next year to become a pediatrician and all the scholarship money she has been getting. My phone rang once in my pocket, and I just ignored, for I felt like I NEEDED to just LISTEN...and I did. It was a treasured time with a very very nice person, and, as I got my last case, paid, and left for my gas, and home, I felt like I had done one thing good... I LISTENED...and it seemed to be the only thing good I did all day. I am sure glad I did it, and know better that the opportunities won't wear a big sign or anything. Even when Dee got frustrated in the evening, I stopped myself from biting back, and just listened...