First I wanted to list my three beautiful things, as it is Wednesday and I actually remembered to do it. 🙂
1. The carpet in the girls’ room is looking very beautiful, and since we have the bunk beds all torn apart we are going to paint them white (they are the metal bunk beds – single on top, double on bottom, and they are ugly black).
2. Dorothy got her cast off last Thursday – that is a very beautiful thing as we don’t have to go through the tantrum bit every time we go swimming, etc.
3. I gave a lesson to my kids on Monday evening about controling your anger (I called it Temper Your Temper), and we have been working very hard at having more love in our home. While it’s not perfect it is helping, and that is very beautiful to see. 🙂
Ok, now for Today’s Life Lesson:
I was at the grocery store today and by the time I got done finding what I needed, got checked out and everything into the car I was feeling rather tired. Usually I’ll return my cart to one of the designated spaces, especially when I am by myself as I was today. I figure it is just a nice thing to do. Well, today I was tired and feeling lazy and even though the cart return was only 10 – 20 feet away I decided that I was just going to leave the cart and go. I hopped into the van and started the engine. When I looked forward I saw a bent elderly gentleman, at least in his 80’s, shuffling towards my cart. He had come some distance from his car. Feeling a tad bit guilty now, and curious, I busied myself with something in my car and observed the gentlemen. He stood by my cart a moment and then looked down the row of empty spaces (I park at the end, in the boonies, as I would rather walk than wait for an open space). There was another empty cart a number of spaces down. He shuffled toward that cart, took it, and then wheeled it up to my cart (at this point I was pulling away, and yes I feel rather ashamed that I didn’t stop to help the man), picked up that cart and proceeded to walk towards the return, or maybe even the store.
I thought about that as I left. I felt guilty I hadn’t helped him, but more guilty that he had been thoughtful and considerate while I had been selfish. I’m not saying that people who don’t return their carts are mean, bad people, but it does make the store employee’s job easier. And who doesn’t appreciate having their load lightened. I felt like I had been shown a dent in my character, and I hope that I can pound out that dent and make it smooth. Not just by returning carts (which I probably will do without fail now), but by being more considerate and kind in general.
Fun and Flawed 
What a great post! All of it! Thank you!!!
‘I felt like I had been shown a dent in my character, and I hope that I can pound out that dent and make it smooth. ‘
Very poetic!!
Wow, I loved all of it too! Great post! 🙂
I usually try and park next to a cart return even if it’s in the boondocks. I’d rather walk further to the store than walk to the cart return afterwards! But like you said, it’s less about the cart and more about being thoughtful about others. Its amazing how little experiences can change things!
Hmm, it’s not often that I don’t return a cart (it might have happened once in the past 5 years, but it has happened), but then again I would NEVER go out of my way to return someone else’s cart, so I have nothing to crow about.
My oldest got her cast off a few weeks ago. Thank God! I don’t want to even think about it having to have been on through swimming season. That’s the good thing about breaking a leg and having surgery during ski season. You can heal before it’s hot enough to swim!