Thoughts Along the Path . . .

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A few days before Easter I was shopping at our local Foodland when a bin full of colourful, multi-sized balls placed next to Easter candies caught my attention. As a Baha’i I respect both the observance and the symbols of this holy season, and I paused to appreciate the balls as part of a special Easter display and also as a hint of spring and summer fun.

While I was taking the moment to enjoy the colour, I was joined by another shopper doing the same. Our conversation then went something like this. Me: “Aren’t these colours wonderful?” Her: “Yes. Too bad I already bought Easter gifts for my grandchildren.” Me: “Why not get one for yourself”? Her: “Oh, I think I’m beyond playing with balls.” Me: “Are you sure?” And with that, entirely on impulse, I selected one of the smaller balls and tossed it to her. She smiled and tossed it back to me. We had gone three or four rounds when yet another shopper started to walk past us. Without even thinking about it, I tossed the ball to that lady, too. She immediately started playing along, with the three of us tossing a ball in the middle of the grocery store. As you might guess, we were laughing heartily as we did it.

After a minute or so, it was time to get back to “real life” and we thanked each other for the fun and resumed our shopping.

Who says you can’t have fun at the grocery store? With today’s prices, I think we all deserve a laugh or two, don’t you?

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Submitted to Ayr News by Jaellayna Palmer, April 2023