I have always
said,things can always be worse. I made the mistake of saying "It can't get any
worse" one time. Guess what, it got worse. So I haven't said it since. So
whether I was aware of it or not, I have been reforming for about 20 years now,
I just didn't know it. More on that later.
Today in church, I
was really feeling sorry for myself. Things are not going as planned in my new
life "plan". Because I hadn't realized that I can't completely control the
"plan". Life has a way of working its self out, and God has a plan. More on
that later too. Lol :)
So today as I was
going about my day at work, I was still feeling rather down. Why aren't things
going the way they are supposed to? Why am I still here, I am not even sure I
want to be here anymore. Then I met a woman, much like myself, but I didn't
know it yet. She is about my age (35-42 leaving it a range so if you don't know
I'm old, I don't have to admit it. :) ). She is in the store looking at
engagement rings and wedding bands with her boyfriend and her 2 teenage boys. They are all dressed in camo, if you know me, I need not say
anything else, but to not get on yet another tangent, I don't think its a
fashion statement. At the very least, not a good one. But in "sales 101",
I learned a long time ago to NEVER judge a book by its cover.
I introduced
myself, and started to talk about the rings she had picked out. I was trying to
stay within the budget they had given me. This woman was smiling, a lot. She
seemed like everything in her life was perfect, and she was about to get
married. So it was getting better. I started building rapport with them, even
joking about camo wedding rings. She told me a few minutes earlier, she wanted
to keep looking. They didn't want to buy the first thing she liked. Little did
she know, I already knew they were buying from me. lol I try to teach my
customers a little about what they are buying, so that when they go into other
stores, they aren't at quite a disadvantage against "the big bad salesperson".
At the same time, I am earning their trust. Earning their business and hard
earned money. Her boyfriend and sons start talking to someone they know walking
by, and for a minute, its just her and me. She is a single mom, I thought of 2,
but she was a single mom of 3. Her husband was her high school sweetheart, and
he ran off about 4 years ago. Leaving her to raise these 3 boys on her own.
She isn't bitter, she is still smiling. I wasn't smiling 10 years ago when
similar things were going on. I was very bitter, mad at the world. She then
tells me her youngest son, passed away. He had been battling cancer all of
his life, but he beat it. His immune system had not fair ed well, and he passed
away from other things his body couldn't fight. Her story is a fairly well
known local story, so I am not going to get too specific for obvious reasons.
She and I had a moment, it was still just her and I. I was telling her that I
too had been a single mom, and that I understood how it felt. But truth is, I
have no idea what it feels like to lose a child. I was nothing like this woman
who stood in front of me. We talked for a few more minutes. We continued to
talk and I continued to be amazed by this woman's strength. So with tears in
our eyes, I wrote down what we looked at, and told them I would see them in a
few minutes.
When they came back, I told them they would, :). I was ringing up
the sale, and we kept talking. At this point, she has already amazed me with
her strength, and her will to keep going for her and her boys. She then
proceeds to tell 2 more horrific things that have happened to her, just this
year! I can't tell you I would be standing up, let alone standing tall, smiling
and telling my story to some woman I just met. But she made me think, a lot. I
am a pretty humble person, I really am, and remember, I know things can always
be worse, but I have never been through even ONE of the 5 things she told me
about herself in 4 years, in my whole life. I feel like I need to say this
again, she was NOT whining, or complaining or wanting me to feel sorry for her.
She was simply being herself. And they walked into my store today to answer my
questions of doubt. My lack of faith in how God works. Anyone who knows me
well, knows that I have a lot of "a ha" moments, and realizing how good I have
it. This was different, and it couldn't have come a better time. I only hope
that I left a fraction of the impression on her, that she left on me. They were
the reason I was still there, SHE was the reason I was still there. So tonight,
the only person I am feeling sorry for is her ex husband. He walked away from
the best thing that ever happened to him. And I am thankful that I had the
chance to meet her and her boys. They helped me today. In many ways. And this
is just the beginning.....
