What if?

Last week I was at my local Safeway buying a couple of days worth of groceries. Ahead of me at the checkout was a very pregnant mom with her two little boys in tow. The checker finished ringing up her weeks worth of groceries while a young bag boy packed them for her. When he was finished bagging her groceries he quickly moved on to mine. I noticed the mom pause- waiting for him to ask her if she needed help out perhaps? before she gathered up her sons and pushed her heavily laden cart towards the door.

I commented to the bagger, That mom looked like she could use some help...

Oh, he responded uncertainly, Um- I guess I forgot to ask her if she needed help out.

Go now, I countered, I can bag my own groceries.

The bagger left my groceries and quickly ran to catch up with her as she headed for the parking lot. After exiting the store, I scanned the parking lot and noted with satisfaction that the bag boy had caught up with her, and was loading the bags of groceries into her car.

Yesterday my real-life-and-in-person-good-friend, Llama Momma, wrote this post. Her moment of kindness for the mom at the mall touched me and reminded my own brief moment at Safeway last week. Now let's be honest- it didn't cost me anything to help that mom out. She probably doesn't even know that I sent the bag boy out to help her. All I did was bag my own groceries- something I would do anyway if a bagger wasn't available. It didn't make a big difference to me, but as a mom who remembers what it was like to take little ones to the grocery store while pregnant with a third- I know it made a difference to her.

It makes me wonder what this world would be like if we all took those opportunities of kindness? What if, the next time you saw an overwhelmed mom, you stopped for a moment and lent a hand? What if you said an encouraging word to the checkout clerk who's been on his feet all day- and still has an hour to go?

What if?