Yesterday Matt was sick. I picked up Archie from the sitter and Eloise from school and decided to run to Target for a few things. I had hoped to be in and out quickly.
I found a line with just one person ahead of me and began organizing my items on the conveyor. After placing my items, I looked up to see that the person ahead of me was an elderly woman. She was paying for her items with change and wanted to purchase each separately. I was frustrated with this woman and the inconvenience she had placed on me.
But then I watched the young employee with this woman. I watched him help her count her change, ever so softly taking it from her shaking hands. When she asked if she had enough to buy a reusable bag, he told her she did and went two lines over to get one for her and then repackaged her items. Never once was this employee angry. He was nothing but patient and kind.
As I was watching him, I saw that Eloise was too. She was standing next to the woman, watching the employee count the change. I realized I hadn’t been inconvenienced at all. That my daughter was instead witnessing kindness and patience and being taught this valuable lesson by a complete stranger.
When the woman was finished, the employee began ringing up my items and thanked me for my patience. I then thanked him for teaching us patience and kindness by his treatment of that elderly woman. When he was finished, I pushed my cart through the store trying to find the manager. I wanted her to know of the employee’s kindness and patience and how much it meant to me. After tracking her down and sharing the story with her, we left Target with a cart full of consumable items, but what is more, a heart full of gratitude for such an invaluable lesson.
If you are ever in the Glendale Target, give Ishmael a smile and a nod. The world could use more people like him.
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Once upon a time，there lived a slave called Androcles who was yearning to be set free by his master since he was treating him badly.So Androcles hatched a plan and escaped into a nearby forest.After he had traveled a while Androcles suddenly heard a roar behind him and found a lion standing close by.He was sure the lion was going to kill him.But instead the lion slowly limped towards him and held out its paw.There was a thorn stuck to its paw and there was a lot of blood oozing out.
Androcles removed the thorn and the lion walked away peacefully into the forest.After a few days Androcles was captured by his master who was so angry because he had run away.The master decided to throw Androcles to a lion.This was a common practice in ancient Greece where the slaves were often thrown into an arena to fight a starving lion.
The next day a huge crowd gathered to watch the fight.The king was also present.A lion that had been starved for a number of days was brought into the arena in a cage.As soon as Androcles was brought in，the guards let the lion out of the cage.Androcles was trembling in fear as the lion rushed at him with great rage.Much to the astonishment of the crowd，the lion suddenly stopped in its path，looked intently at Androcles and then went and lay down near his feet.Androcles was delighted as he realized that it was the same lion as he had helped in the forest.He hugged the lion as the entire arena watched in stunned silence.The king was overjoyed at seeing such a brave act and permitted Androcles to be freed.When he entered the arena，Androcles thought that he was a dead man but the turn of events ensured the opposite—his freedom.
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