Kind and Thoughtful

 This morning was a complicated one. Every Sunday we go to do our weekly grocery shopping. As there was a big winter storm headed this way, we did most of our shopping on Saturday. We saved a few things to get today, Sunday, so RJC would still be in her routine and so that she had the opportunity to be out of the house before being snowed in.

We got to the grocery store quite early, as the news showed that the snow would not begin until 11 AM. 

Side note: the snow came earlier than expected and it was snowing when we left the store. A reminder that Mother Nature does her thing when she's ready.

Back to our story - the store was not particularly crowded but there were other customers there and only one register had an Associate working. I am not a huge fan of self-checkout and while I will use it occasionally for a very small order, we had a few items, so we decided to wait in line. 

The line was moving along but too slowly for RJC who was getting antsy and loud. That happens much less than it used to, but I think she was feeling anxious, probably picking up on my own anxiety about the snowstorm. So, she would yell, then hold her hands over her ears and say, "too loud." In general, she says that because she knows she shouldn't be yelling and she's self-correcting. She will get into a cycle of yelling and self-correcting, then apologizing to me. She will do this quite a few times and eventually, once I have reassured her enough times, saying "It's ok, RJC" she will calm down. So here we were, stuck in the screaming cycle.

A few minutes later, RJC calmed down. Shortly after, an employee at the store told me that she went to the front desk and asked them to lower the music, as she thought it may be bothering RJC.

How kind and thoughtful is that!  

I was so touched and impressed that she recognized this behavior and acted to shut down a possible trigger.  For sure, sometimes when music is too loud, it does trigger this behavior. Though I am not sure that was the case in this situation, I simply thanked her and reinforced her kindness. Though it may or may not have been the case in this particular situation, clearly it could be in a different situation and//or with a different individual. She also let me know that any time we were in this store, if the music is too loud, we could go to the front desk and ask them to turn the volume down.

It is people like this, who cross our paths, that we are grateful for. It is complicated enough to be out and about and never be completely sure what will be.  To have somebody proactively come up with a possible solution to a difficult situation, instead of making a judgement or doing the "stare and glare" that we have experienced more often than we should have, is such a relief. Truly a load off of our shoulders.

I hope you all are enjoying the day wherever you are, and that if the time should come that you need a bit of grace, it will be granted. 

AND you will recognize it for what it is.