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
© Jaellayna Palmer