a christmas story

mom and i share a little holiday tradition of doing a little shopping on christmas eve. in the past few years we have gone out to nearby stores. sometimes we buy last-minute presents for others, sometimes we buy little presents for each other, and sometimes we buy nothing at all. this year we went to the grocery store and picked up some odds and ends to snack on during the rest of the day. we were standing near the front of the line with our baguette, cheese, and olive tapenade when a woman behind us asked if we could let someone go ahead; he was a teenager who worked at the store. he was on his break and was about eight people deep in the line. his break was about to be spent standing in line when i'm sure all he really wanted was to sit in a quiet spot and eat in peace. i know what it is like to work on christmas eve. it isn't always merry.

we let him ahead of us, and i told him i'd buy his carton of milk and apple. for christmas. i forked over the $2.50 and gave him a smile and told him to have a good break. he, in turn, gave me one of the most heartfelt hugs i've had in a long time, and said thank you. i was amazed; it isn't often anyone hugs a stranger, and it isn't often these days i see a teenager who looks like he or she ever would. the woman who had asked us for the spot in line came up to me and said something along the lines of "can you believe, in this day in age, a teenager being so genuinely thankful?"

mom and i had to get out of the store fast because we were both too choked up from the moment. you never know how the smallest gesture might make a big impact on someone's day. mother theresa said you should smile at at least five strangers a day, because it makes the world a more peaceful place. it is true - we're all human, and sometimes we just need to be reminded of that simple fact.