Reality check

I was really having one of those days this morning.  I overslept, which sent everything tumbling all wonky.  I took a shower and realized was out of my favorite conditioner so I used the other stuff and now my hair is all heavy and weighed down.  I tripped over Wolfey getting ready for work and he looked at me like I'd beaten him, which was just about enough to send me to tears (especially since I'm PMSing).  BBS called and as much as I wanted to talk to her I had to rush her off the phone since I was running late.  I packed my lunch for work and couldn't find anything I needed, so I made a huge mess of the kitchen I just cleaned last night.  Finally, when I realized I was 15 minutes late leaving for work and didn't even have my shoes on yet, I woke Man out of his hibernation (and boy, can he be a bear!) to clean up after me.  I sped as much as I could but was still more than 10 minutes late to work.  Thankfully I always build in a cushion so I can get the store ready without having to rush, so I wasn't late opening my store, but I was definitely running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  It was really looking like it was going to be one of those awful days where absolutely nothing goes right.

And then I got my first customer.  He was a tall, thin, elderly gentleman who needed some help finding something that was right in front of him.  I put on my usual "friendly neighborhood pool supply lady" smile and went about my job, helping him find everything he needed and requesting that he pull up to the curb so I could load the heavy items in his car and he headed out the door.  My next customer, a young woman with a little boy, came in and was very friendly but pretty self sufficient so I told her to let me know if she needed anything but that I was going to stay near the front of the store so that I could see when the elderly gentleman pulled up.  I waited.  And waited.  And waited a little longer.  Finally I started scanning the parking lot to look for him, hoping he hadn't left without his purchases; I saw him standing in the middle of the parking lot with a completely bewildered look on his face.  I told the woman who was in the store what was going on and she offered to go out and help the man, but I was worried that if he was completely confused, having a stranger approach him might scare him, so she then offered to stay in the store while I helped the man.  We finally found his car (it was on the complete opposite side of the parking lot from where he thought it was), got him all loaded up and on his way and I returned to my store to ring out the lady who was watching the store for me.  The first thing she said when I walked in the door was, "I hope he's okay.  If he's that confused, I wonder if he's safe to drive."  Talk about restoring your faith in humanity!

I overslept, but it was because I have a comfortable, safe place in which to lay my head.  I didn't have the conditioner I like, but I had a hot shower and enough resources to have alternative conditioner on hand.  I tripped over my dog, but it's because he wants to be near me.  I rushed BBS off the phone, but she loves me enough to call me even at a time when she knows she may be rushed.  I had troubles packing my lunch, but I have food to pack.  Man was a little grumpy with me about being woken up, but he loves me enough to do it anyway.  I was late to work, but I have a job and enough job security to know that being late one time isn't going to get me fired.  It was such an awesome realization when it occurred to me that this woman had put her errands on hold, volunteered to help a man she'd never spoken to and taken complete responsibility for a store about which she knew nothing and her only concern was for the health and safety for a man she would never meet, and it really put my entire day into perspective.  I am truly thankful that I not only have these wonderful things, but to have these awesome experiences that help me appreciate how lucky I really am.