some socks, boxers and ground beef.

...were the things i purchased for a woman i didn't even know today.

my mom and i went down to walmart today after she got home from church. i wanted to get my ears pierced (yes, at walmart) and i needed to pick up some photos i'd had developed there. mom decided she needed to get a new watch band and while she was doing that, looked around for a new scarf (because walmart usually has really cute, cheap ones). as i'm standing in the aisle, a woman that looked like she was in her 40's or 50's approached me, and asked if i could help her out with something.

i automatically assumed in my mind that she thought i worked there (haha...) if she was asking me that sort of question. but then i realized she was asking me to buy her some of the things she needed to get for her sons.

this felt weird. i wondered if she was going to try and steal my purse...i wondered what the catch was. but i responded with an upbeat, "sure!"

i walked with her to the boys section. her name was keisha, and she needed socks and boxers for one of her sons. she picked out a four pack of boxers and a package of socks. i looked at her and asked if she needed anything else. she said that she had another younger son who could use the same, so she got another pair of socks and set of boxers. she joked that she would need to mark them so that they wouldn't get mixed up. i smiled and told her my mom used to have to do that with some of mine and my brother's clothes. during this time i asked her what she would be doing for thanksgiving, and she said that all they would be having was the turkey.

we started toward the register. i was still wondering whether she was going to try and grab my purse or do some other heinous thing like strangers do. but she seemed so genuinely sad. so so sad. she asked if she could get a small package of ground beef as well...and after she got that we were done. i took her to the cash register, paid for the items and walked her out. 

after i said goodbye to her and i walked back in the store to find my mom, i was reminded how lucky i am that i myself, am able to pay for things like socks, underwear, the occasional grocery item...i have never really experienced "money problems." i was also reminded how lucky i have been to always have a happy thanksgiving...i am never lacking in anything, family-wise or in the realm of food. how fortunate i am to have what i need...and even what i DON'T need.

we had a speaker up at hartland this past summer who talked about angels. i don't know if this woman was an angel, but i do know that this was just the kind of reminder i needed four days before thanksgiving.