Kindness

I was at Costco doing my last minute holiday food shopping. We were at the end of our long string of errands, standing at the checkout line, with my kids loaded up in one cart and for some reason the lady started loading up all my food up in another one. (just a hint, if they fit the first time, they'll fit the second time) She piled the food in the main area of the cart as well as the kids seats! Oh well, I started pushing and pulling both carts out. Lincoln, sweet boy, who was hungry and extremely tired, began to cry. I picked him up and continued struggling with my two carts (the jumbo kind, only Costco has), weaving around the insanely busy Costco, that is packed on a normal day, let alone it being the day before Christmas Eve, swarms of people frantically finishing up! Before I knew it, the back cart caught my heel and pulled my boot partly off. I winced in pain, and trudged on. One of those moments as a mother where you look completely pathetic.
Before I know it I hear a voice asking if he could help. He had noticed me, but not just noticed me long enought to judge or to think, "what has this women gotten herself into?" but noticed me in need and wanted to do something about it! He kindly asked if he could push one of my carts to my car for me. What an angel! As we neared the receipt checkers I remembered I still had to stop at the photo desk to pick up the pictures that were part of Will's Christmas gift. I told the man he could just drop us off there because I had to wait for my pictures. He said, as if it was not a problem in the world, that he'll just wait right outside for me to be done! Of course it took a long time. And he waited, PATIENTLY!!!
When I was done he walked me to my car, and loaded all my groceries in my trunk as I loaded the kids in. As we talked he told me how all his kids and grandkids around were coming for Christmas and I related how our families don't live near. I felt as if he was truly an angel blessing me. That although we're away from family, their love, and prayers still reach out to us and Heavenly Father protects us in so many ways. Ways that, often are unseen or go unnoticed by me. But that day I noticed. That day I was grateful and I was changed. Motivated to be a little kinder, a little more patient.
I wrote this story mostly to help me remember. It's so easy to feel alone. To think we're doing this on our own. When if we will just stop we can feel our loving Heavenly Father wrap us in love. He blesses us so often through other people and if we take time to look, even in our pathetic, overwhelmed, busy, or down moments, we can know we are not alone. Writing this I realized this is what I needed to hear tonight, hope it may touch one of you as well and we can pass on the kindness.