By Desiree Future

Early one morning, I was shopping in the grocery store. I was excited because after I returned home, I could do what I love and that is this. Writing. I already knew what I was getting, a non- dairy frozen dessert that was one of my favorite things. Delicious and on sale. Then there was all-natural peanut butter. Delicious, on sale and perfect for my homemade cookies that would agree with my stomach issues. Along with a few other things, I had them written on my paper.

As I strolled through the store, all I could think about was what I would be writing. I would work on rewriting another chapter in my novel, and that really excited me. In my mind I could see my characters jump off the pages as I would write them. I anxiously shopped with a smile on my face for what was yet to come. I said good morning to a woman standing at the vegetable bin near me. She smiled and said good morning back.

As I stopped to let an older gentleman get by with his shopping cart, I smiled and nodded my head to him. This is something I learned from my parents growing up. It is a way of speaking without saying a word. He smiled and nodded back at me.

At the last aisle in the store, I reached in the freezer for my frozen treats. A man did the same in the freezer next to me. I said good morning, and he gave me a terrible look. Unfazed, I smiled and grabbed my item and moved on.

Just when I thought I was done shopping, I forgot my peanut butter and had to go back to the beginning of the large store. Turning the corner, I saw a woman who looked lost. Lost in the sense of direction in the store and in life. I said good morning to her and then she stopped, looked at me, smiled and said good morning how are you? Her entire demeanor changed with my words. Her facial expression looked like she had taken a long awaited deep breath and exhaled.

You never know what a person is going through, and your kind words just might save their lives. The next time you’re out and about, smile because a smile is contagious.

Proverbs 15: 13 A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.