sweet little tea lady...

In California we rarely get dreary, rainy days… especially in late June. Two Mondays ago it was a dreary, kinda cold, sorta muggy, mostly funky day. I took a vacation day to accommodate a dentist appointment, a vet appointment and two doctor appointments (being a grown up, sometimes, isn’t as glamorous as my 7 year old self was hoping for).

After my last doctor’s appointment I was down in the dumps.  I got some weird news from my doctor… and decided I didn’t want to go home. Knowing myself like I do, I would have wallowed on the couch. So I stopped into the nearest market, which happened to be a natural foods store. I went for one thing: clear top coat nail polish, which they didn’t carry.  I wandered around… and at some point decided to buy some yummy treats for Hubster and me.

I was gently confronted by a sweet middle aged woman, “You look deep in thought. What do you need?”  I looked up, not even knowing, really, how deep in thought I probably looked. She was a customer. I retorted, in my typical jovial and sarcastic way, “Therapy!”  We shared a laugh.

Unlike most people, who laugh and anxiously walk away when I give a humorous yet honest answer, she didn’t budge. She put her hand on my shoulder and smiled empathetically. Then she suggested a few types of tea, pointing out that the $2 off coupon could be used at the time of purchase. I was alarmed at first. Tea? Coupons? Why is she suggesting tea and coupons?  Then I realized I was so deep in my own thoughts, I had wandered four aisles in, and landed on the tea and coffee aisle unknowingly.  After I put three boxes of tea in my arm cart and we exchanged pleasantries, she was down the aisle and rounding the corner. I didn’t catch her name, and thought, “I’ll ask her if I see her again in the store.” But I never saw her again. I’m not saying she was a spirit or an angel… but she was just what I needed at that very moment. I think God and spirits aren’t always super natural, though I believe in that kind too.  I think sometimes life (and God) gives us exactly what we need, when we need it, if we’re open to it. That lady was, even for a brief moment, exactly what I needed.

 I proceeded to buy a big beer for my hubby, a big pear hard cider for me, a tub of fancy olives from the olive bar, a baguette, and other indulgent goodies. When he got home, we celebrated nothing more than the present moment. Less than great news doesn’t have to be a buzz kill. It can be a cause for celebration! And tea lady saved my day, gave me perspective, and plugged me into a daily dose of wisdom… every tea bag has a little encouragement on the tag!