One Time In The Grocery Store…

You know when those once in a lifetime surreal moments that you never expected happen before your eyes? Well I had one today in the meat department of our local grocery store.

I was just trying to get what I needed and get home as this was my first real outing since Christmas Eve morning. I have been suffering from a cold and sleeping most of the weekend. Then I saw a lady I know through my next door neighbour.

Though I am not super close friends with this woman, I was impressed with her from our first meeting. I have only seen her a few times since her husband passed away suddenly about 2 years ago. A few months later she had a health scare and is raising a teenage boy on her own. I mentioned how well she looked and she said she is seeing someone. I was sincerely happy for her. Her husband was a great guy, but I know he would want her to go on with her life.

She was asking how things were going for me and my hubby and I said my health was up and down but we are doing pretty good. I noticed a woman standing by the meat looking at us and I didn’t know if she wanted to get by, knew my friend or what. But there was definitely a desire to speak to us.

I acknowledged her and she apologized for listening in but wanted to know how we became such strong women. We kind of looked at each other and laughed as we didn’t really know where she was going with this.

So she told us that she is very weak and there is a man that she loves deeply but he does not feel the same. She said she knows he is bad news but every time she sees or talks to him she is hopeful he will change.

Both my friend and I have been there. With her, death broke her heart and she had to come back from that. For me it was an abusive spouse who made it hard for me to trust again. But I told her that I am currently married to an incredible man who gives me all the love I need and would wrap up the world for me if it were possible. My friend said it was very hard to let go of the love she had with her husband; however she did and is now healing slowly but surely.

The lady would listen to what we had to say about loving yourself first and the first “no” to this guy is the hardest but it gets easier from there. But she just kept saying that she is weak and loves him so much that she can’t bear to say no.

We must have talked for 20 minutes and my friend and I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. The woman asked us to pray for her and we said we would. She gave us each big hugs and and wished us a happy new year.

This woman is going to be on my mind and in my prayers for a long time. Why? Because I was her. I would long for what I couldn’t have because I didn’t think I was worth anything better. I was very wrong and so is she. She is beautiful, smart, and deep down has the strength needed to work this all out.

But for tonight my heart aches for her a little…no, a lot.

Lydia!