I wandered the grocery store aisle thinking about silencing the musical growl in my stomach.
As I turned down the cereal section, a father and mother walked together pushing one of those oversized grocery carts that is made to look like a race car. The family had four little children with three sitting patiently with Dad pushing the cart and one tiny little one pulling it as she strolled backwards.
That little one, maybe 5 or 6, had lime green clogs on her little feet. We are talking key lime pie green. A color so bright it illuminated the linoleum. The shopping cart looked to me like a huge 18 wheel truck since it blocked the entire aisle and no one could pass. She leaned into her attempt to steer the family toward a special sugary treat. As she yanked and tugged this battleship of a cart, her left clog fell off and went underneath.
The aisle was completely blocked.
Twelve people stood still as this little girl tried to fish her squishy little clog out from underneath the wheels. She curled her tiny little leg around trying to save the orphan shoe from getting squeezed.
Everyone smiled. No one got upset.
The parents felt terrible as they watched their little one hold up almost a dozen people. But we all stopped in the moment and smiled and laughed and took in a deep breath. This was one of those special moments that are so easy to miss. This was now.
In my minds eye, I tried to virtually videotape this moment. I didn’t really need to record it but like the taste of fresh mango while sitting on the beach its here for a short succulent second and then it is gone as it becomes a moment later.
Everyone in aisle six experienced something special, something oddly intimate in a grocery store that felt like a true moment of grace. I was enchanted and delighted by this young child’s carefree approach that felt so wonderfully fresh and self-centered. She wasn’t aware that we all were watching- and if she was she I bet she didn’t care.
And then she rescued the lime clog and sat down to put it on while everyone watched.
Then the moment passed. My stomach continued to growl.
Suddenly it was later.
