I absolutely loved this little story. I loved it because its so true that it is the small things that really make all the difference. She was so happy to hear from him daily, he didn't know the circumstances she was going through or that what he was doing was a service.
This reminds me of an experience this past fall. I started working at a grocery store called Lee's Marketplace. My family had just moved to Utah and I didn't know a single soul. This old man by the name of LJ became quite a familiar face to me within the first week. I saw him all the time. He would always be pushing his little cart, baby steps around the store. I talked to him one day and he said, "you must be new, I know all the checkers." I told him I was. Then he said, "You're not from Utah are you?" I said, "No, how did you know?" He replied, "because of the way you do your hair." I just laughed. From that moment on til the next 4 months LJ and I became good friends. His wife would drop him off every single day at 12 and he would stay til 3 o clock. He grabs his little cart and takes 17 laps around the entire store. Then he'd buy one little yogurt and come through my line. ON breaks we'd sit together and he would tell me about life back in his days and back when "the world was young." He would tell me what he was like and all the things he learned in life. He would bring me presents through my line every once in awhile too. For Thanksgiving I made him a turkey card with feathers and wrote him a note inside about how I'm grateful that we're friends. When he read the card he teared up and told me how happy he was that I called him my friend. When December rolled around I had to put my two weeks notice in so I could return back to BYUI for winter semester. I told LJ I had to leave and he didn't like that one bit. He bought me some chocolates and wrote me a card and told me the only thing he wanted from me was a picture "for my book of memories" he would always say. The thing LJ didn't know was how much he impacted my life. He really was my greatest friend that fall. I could always depend on seeing him there everyday, coming through my line and checking up on me. I don't think he will every really know how much he meant to me. My mom still goes in and shops there at Lee's and will be sure to say hi to LJ. He pulled her aside one day and told her how much I meant to him. I really had no idea that a 22 year old girl could mean anything to a 83 year old man. Friendships really do come in all shapes and sizes.
This reminds me of an experience this past fall. I started working at a grocery store called Lee's Marketplace. My family had just moved to Utah and I didn't know a single soul. This old man by the name of LJ became quite a familiar face to me within the first week. I saw him all the time. He would always be pushing his little cart, baby steps around the store. I talked to him one day and he said, "you must be new, I know all the checkers." I told him I was. Then he said, "You're not from Utah are you?" I said, "No, how did you know?" He replied, "because of the way you do your hair." I just laughed. From that moment on til the next 4 months LJ and I became good friends. His wife would drop him off every single day at 12 and he would stay til 3 o clock. He grabs his little cart and takes 17 laps around the entire store. Then he'd buy one little yogurt and come through my line. ON breaks we'd sit together and he would tell me about life back in his days and back when "the world was young." He would tell me what he was like and all the things he learned in life. He would bring me presents through my line every once in awhile too. For Thanksgiving I made him a turkey card with feathers and wrote him a note inside about how I'm grateful that we're friends. When he read the card he teared up and told me how happy he was that I called him my friend. When December rolled around I had to put my two weeks notice in so I could return back to BYUI for winter semester. I told LJ I had to leave and he didn't like that one bit. He bought me some chocolates and wrote me a card and told me the only thing he wanted from me was a picture "for my book of memories" he would always say. The thing LJ didn't know was how much he impacted my life. He really was my greatest friend that fall. I could always depend on seeing him there everyday, coming through my line and checking up on me. I don't think he will every really know how much he meant to me. My mom still goes in and shops there at Lee's and will be sure to say hi to LJ. He pulled her aside one day and told her how much I meant to him. I really had no idea that a 22 year old girl could mean anything to a 83 year old man. Friendships really do come in all shapes and sizes.
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