Carrying Extra Baggage
Recently at the grocery store I was in the express line and the womyn near me in the next line had a bundle of items in her hand. She had no basket and was clearly in some discomfort over carrying all those things.
There was an empty cart near her and suddenly she just dumped them all down and said,
“Whew, I can’t believe I was holding all that stuff when I could have just put it down!”
Recognizing the Victory
I smiled at her and said that at least she noticed it and DID put it down.
Many people would have just continued to hold on to it all and suffer.
She liked that idea and it turned into a little victory for her 🙂
I could see the satisfaction in her eyes.
Taking the Lesson Into Everyday Life
Then (in classic Vivek style) I said;
“Now you know what you have to do with this experience?”
“What?”
“You have to apply this lesson to other areas of your life.
See what else you’re carrying that you can just put down and lighten your load.
What emotions are you carrying?
What thoughts are you carrying?
Even maybe there is a relationship that you’re carrying
that would do you good to lay down?
Lighten your load!”
She got quiet for a moment
Strangers in grocery stores don’t usually talk this way,
but I made it sound appealing,
She said
“Ya, I think I get what you’re saying”
The Grocery Cart of Life
Then I asked her
“And do you know what the grocery cart of life is?
Where you can lay down your troubling emotions and negative thoughts,
instead of carrying them in your arms?”
She thought for a minute
Looked me in the eye
I knew she knew, but she was hesitant to say
in the grocery store
to this stranger
who suddenly was not a stranger
So I said “Come on, you know!”
She said quietly “God?”
I smiled and nodded and she smiled too,
then we both ended up behind our counters and were busy with our groceries.
When I turned around she was gone.
This Was A Gift To Me
I felt honoured to have been able to share an
honest intimate moment with a fellow traveller.
Uncovering the Hidden Depths
It’s worth it to speak out and share what we know with others.
So many people feel and understand much more
than their normal circumstances allow them to express.
A single moment with someone who acknowledges their depth
and intelligence can mean the world to them.
I didn’t put myself above her
we were two sudden friends
thrust together by a Divine moment.
