
Something weird happened. Please allow me to explain.
A few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon Zen-Den and I were shopping in Kroger. It was busy but not chaotic, for the most part shoppers were aware of each other. In fact the biggest annoyances were the extra temporary displays clogging the aisles.
Thus it was a slow process going up and down the aisles, but we weren’t in a hurry so we moseyed happily along, Z-D pushing the cart, me following behind him.
In the cereal aisle we came to a full stop when we encountered a couple in their 70s who were looking for one particular cereal. They’d abandoned their cart in the middle of the aisle and, with paper coupon in hand, were laser-focused on finding the right cereal on the shelf, wherever it might be.
We just smiled and waited.
Eventually they found their cereal and looked up to see us standing there, unperturbed. The woman, who was wearing a sweatshirt that said “You Are Enough,” apologized to us for holding up traffic.
No problem say we and go on our way continuing to shop.
• • •
Eventually we got what we needed and went to stand in line to use the U-scan machines. After a few minutes we scored a machine and went to it.
Doing our usual grocery shopping two-step, I handed the items to Z-D. He then scanned and bagged them.
Welp, while we were doing this I noticed the older couple was now in line for the U-scans. Then kind of out of nowhere the “You Are Enough” sweatshirt woman walks up to Z-D, who is in the process of weighing fruit, and says: “Excuse me sir, these are for you.”
At which point she hands a surprised Zen-Den three flowers [seen in the photo at the top of this post]. He looks at me, like I should have a clue about why this is happening, but I shrug.
Beats me.
So he thanks her while taking the flowers that he then hands to me. She smiles and goes back to standing in line with her husband by their cart of unpaid for groceries and a bouquet of flowers.
We finish checking out, pay for our stuff, and walk out of the store with me holding what was TECHNICALLY, from a strictly legal perspective was probably, STOLEN MERCHANDISE because at that minute while we walked to our car the flowers hadn’t been purchased by the older couple who was still standing in line waiting to buy them.
I hope.
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY
Do you believe this was a weird experience?
Has anything like this happened to you— that is, having a stranger, who might be a little Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, spontaneously hand you a gift?
Do you like the “You Are Enough” message on the woman’s sweatshirt? Was the Universe trying to tell us something or just playing mind games with us?
How often to you go grocery shopping? Do you prefer a certain day and/or time of day?
• • 🛒 • •
Oh, I don’t think that’s weird at all! I think it’s so very kind and thoughtful. They sound like very spontaneous people who saw the opportunity to be nice and took it. Bravo to them for making the world a better place with their actions and the affirmation on her sweatshirt.
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nance, I agree on the surface of it this was a sweet random act of kindness and we appreciated it BUT were the flowers paid for? Or were they wandering around the store handing them out to people then *forgetting* to buy the flowers at the checkout? Could be we had stolen merchandise, ‘ya know! 😉
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I believe the flowers were eventually paid for!
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LeendaDLL, so do I! But had to bring up the alternative for purposes of discussion.
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Very true Ally. It was an appreciation of your patience.
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Sadje, well said. That’s how I’ll think about it.
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I wish we all had that kindness and patience.
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Yes, life would be better for everyone. 💕
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Very true
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I had a similar but different experience. For a while, I worked as a floral designer. There was a designer who I suspected of the occasional 5 finger discount. For Christmas, she gave me a gift. It was a copper vase we sold in the shop. She said she paid for it (but I had doubts). I carried it out of the store and took it home but was never quite sure if it had ever been paid for. I could have asked the manager but I was balancing the kind act with turning someone in for theft. I was the only one in the shop that she gave a gift but I had helped her quite a bit with designing so that didn’t strike me as odd. I still have the vase.
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Kate, your experience with that copper vase is similar to what happened with these flowers. I understand why you accepted the vase graciously but with reservations, too. Who’s to say where the truth was in your experience and in ours. Kindness, but… 🤷♀️
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I absolutely love everything about this
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Beth, it was so out of the ordinary that I had to write about it here. I mean… weird, right?
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yes, but I love when those things happen. I had a random person gift me a bouquet of flowers in the Trader Joe’s parking lot and said, I just wanted you have a nice day.
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That’s soooo sweet. I bet that made your day, week, month! In your case you knew there was a reasonably good chance the flowers had been paid for. 😉
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True
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Now that I’m on the less fresh end of the ageing spectrum, I’ll venture that in her zeal to do a “random act of kindness” she simply may have forgotten that the flowers weren’t paid for yet. She may only have realised it later or maybe not at all. It could be an honest error. (Or maybe she’s been light-fingered all her life!) I remember the “you are enough” movement as a self-confidence/self-actualisation new age philosophy that started with a book (I think) about 25 years ago.
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Lynette, I like your take on this. She well could have just forgotten about buying the flowers first and Z-D graciously accepted them in the moment. But as we walked to the car a bit of, shall we say, doubt occurred to us. We laughed, of course.
I didn’t know that about the “You Are Enough” sweatshirt and the movement it represented. Maybe sharing flowers with strangers helped the woman feel more self-actualized? I noticed the words on the sweatshirt, that’s for sure.
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That occurred to me, too. It feels like something this movement would encourage its believers to do.
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Now that I know about this movement I wonder how I missed it? I used to want to be more self-actualized, seems like I’d have been onboard with the message. Maybe I am able to inherently know I am enough… 🤔
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I only recall it in passing, but yes, maybe it just didn’t resonate with you because you already knew.
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I, who will be 69 in 2 mos, think she knew perfectly well that she was buying the whole bunch of flowers in a few minutes, but you guys were ahead of her and she didn’t want you to get away without her saying thank you to you for being nice to them in the cereal aisle.
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Dawn, that’s how I’m framing this experience, too. While I understand that the flowers could have been stolen, I want to believe that in the end they weren’t. It was a kind gesture regardless, I suppose.
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Weird? Absolutely not. I could definitely see that sort of thing happening in my little corner of the world. Midwest nice. I’d have to think about it..(spontaneous gift) I can say my daughter(s) have all done things like that, numerous times. story time- daughter #2 was going somewhere one winter and saw a young lady w/ car trouble. Turned out she was a college foreign exchange student traveling to a concert…daughter stayed with her until the tow truck came that she’d called..daughter picked up the tab of the towing..(and I think there was more) they stayed in touch..when the student’s parents were visiting (from south korea I think) they insisted on meeting the guardian angel of their daughter, and lavished her with gifts (can’t remember details) I just know it touched me deeply when I heard the original encounter, and more so, when I put myself in the other parents place) I could tell you more stories but yep, I love random acts of kindness to strangers. there really are people like that sprinkled all around us. I love that “you are enough” message!!! love, love, love it. And grocery shopping for me is akin to hunting. I love to get in, make the kill (purchase) and get out. Favorite times are either early morning before the rush, or later in the evenings after the rush and the shelves have been restocked for the next day. Heading out in just a couple of minutes to do this very thing. 🙂
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DM, I agree about the midwest nice part of this story. I get that, it’s the were the flowers paid for part of the story that gave us pause. Z-D, Esq, is an officer of the court after all! 😉
I’m your daughter’s helpfulness is a great example of kindness in action. I’m sure the exchange student still thinks of it when she thinks of the US. Meeting the exchange student’s parents must have been a treat. Talk about positive international diplomacy.
I’d never seen anything like the “You Are Enough” sweatshirt message and it resonated. It seemed uplifting without being hokey.
Not a fan of grocery shopping, eh? You sound like you know your store and when to visit so that you can move quickly through it. Happy Hunting— er, I mean Shopping.
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Definitely a bit odd, Ally . . . but the flowers are lovely and the message (“You Are Enough”) is a valuable one.
Maybe all the other harried shoppers they met that Sunday got testy when encountering traffic jams in the aisles caused by momentarily abandoned carts . . . while you and Z-D remained perfectly pleasant. Thus, a reward.
Or maybe she (or the Universe) likes to mess with people’s heads! 😀
Our shopping days/ times/ stores are pretty flexible. So you won’t be able to fake a chance encounter in the cereal aisle with us . . . if that’s what you’re planning. 😀
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nance, exactly. The flowers are lovely and we will think of that older couple in a positive light. You’re right about how the flowers may have been a thank you for our patience and that’s cool too. They were entertaining to watch as they scoured the shelves for their cereal. We take our joy where we can find it.
The longer Z-D has been almost completely retired, the more flexible we’ve become about when we shop. And the more patient we’ve become about the people there. Yay!
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I’m our shopper, but haven’t experienced anything like that before. Cheers to the random act of kindness.
The Kroger aisles are generally narrow – so the aisle displays irk me.
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Frank, *cheers* indeed to the act of [probably legal] kindness. The flowers were pretty.
Yep about the narrow Kroger aisles and those awkward displays plopped down in them. A botheration… 😒
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Narrow aisles + displays + large personal shopper carts + clueless shoppers = annoyance
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That is the equation. And it repeats itself over and over again. 🫤
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Maybe she was alleviating some residue guilt felt over holding you up in the grocery aisle. Or perhaps thanking you for your patience and for not getting mad or rude while you waited for them to find their cereal. Or maybe she thought your husband was the best looking man she has seen in years…
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Jenn, I love all your possible reasons for why the woman gave Z-D the flowers. All true, of course. I guess he was enough. 😜
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😂
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What a lovely thing for them to do! Little kindnesses are so important in this life, and we shouldn’t question them too deeply. Not weird, just a nice old couple who probably wanted to make someone smile.
You were in a grocery store, my dear friend, which is not a place that breeds a lot of smiles!
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Dorothy, I don’t suppose the potential illegality of this act of kindness would have come to us IF it wasn’t for the fact that Z-D is a lawyer who views life through a legal paradigm. You understand. 🙄
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I understand, and I guess I misunderstood. If they were waiting in line, especially with coupons, weren’t they about to pay for their groceries? I certainly don’t think anyone should hand someone stolen goods as a gift, but perhaps they were just of an age where it would never occur to them someone would question whether they were going to pay?
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You’ve explained this perfectly. I’m hoping that they paid for the flowers, never imagining that they would not do so, thus giving Z-D three flowers was clearly an act of grateful kindness. Nothing dodgy going on.
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Okay, here’s my initial thought: They got a bouquet for themselves, pulled out 3 flowers when they saw you two in line to apologize and then paid for the entire bouquet when they checked out…because in what grocery store can you buy 3 single flowers?? As to the your queries:
I would say odd, but not full on weird.
No gifts from anyone but a lady did tell me she liked my hair in the cereal aisle of my own local Fred Meyer aka Kroger.
Not particularly fond of the message plus does she mean it as a positive affirmation for herself, others or both? Awkward conversations could follow if someone approached her to ask I think.
Once per week for groceries. Usually either pick-up or delivery as I don’t enjoy people enough to be in the store for long 😉
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Deb, your explanation of what happened is the one I’m inclined to believe is the truth of the matter. There wasn’t anything sneaky or sinister about this woman, she just startled us with her kindness.
Also, excellent point about not being able to buy only 3 flowers in a Kroger. Hadn’t thought of that.
I’m sure your hair deserved being noticed and commented upon. I’d never seen the message on the sweatshirt but Lynette, a commenter above, said it was part of a self-actualization movement decades ago.
You sound organized about your grocery shopping. Good for you to find a way that works for you… but think of all the possible blog stories you’re missing out on by not shopping inside! 😜
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I totally agree that blog stories would be everywhere should I venture into the grocery store but I think right now I’m enjoying letting others tell those stories. My sanity is more important, although when I do go I go really early AM so I can chat with my favorite checker. Just looking for the bright spots among the darkness 😉
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I adore seeing a favorite checker at the grocery. A few have been around since we moved here 25 years ago, so very friendly faces.
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What a lovely gesture. The world needs more people like that cereal searching couple. We’ve never been handed flowers but have had our meal purchased by someone wanting to thank my veteran husband for his service and that’s always heartfelt.
❤️
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River, yes it was a lovely gesture and the flowers looked pretty sitting in a glass on the counter.
Nice that someone respects your husband’s service and rewards it with a free meal. How cool is that!
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Not weird – spontaneously delightful! 😎
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Laura, okay then. I shall ignore the possibility that the flowers were stolen, and bask in delight. 😊
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I think it is a little weird, if I’m being honest. But maybe I’ve been watching too many true-crime documentaries lately.
I prefer to do my shopping when there are no people around, preferably in the evenings. BUT, one of my favourite stores has special deals that are only available Saturday or Sunday so I typically go first thing Saturday morning and I’ll admit I don’t enjoy that. Sigh.
Lately, with the cold weather, everything has felt like a chore and I’ve decided one of my new goals will be to “eat down” our backstock. We don’t have a ton of extra food at home, but I want to use up all the random frozen vegetables in the freezer etc. Partly because it will feel good to have a cleanish-slate and partly because I really, really don’t want to leave our house lately! (As I write this it is literally a blizzard/white-out.)
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Elisabeth, we thought it was a little weird by seemingly free of malice so we enjoyed the pretty flowers. That were probably paid for eventually. 🙄
We all find the shopping patterns that work for us, don’t we? Around here afternoons, any day of the week, are usually the least crowded but there’s always someone in your way no matter when you shop.
You and my husband are on the same page about eating down the backstock. He lives for that kind of de-cluttering. Of course he does that regardless of the weather. I’m hoping you’re warm and safe at home today. Blizzard/white-out conditions are freaky to see, worse to be in.
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This is a sweet, albeit odd encounter. Your Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs remark made me chuckle. I’m generally racing thru the grocery store, and I might have gently nudged their cart out of my way while smiling in order to get past them. I appreciate the random act of kindness, and I’m assuming the bouquet they bought wasn’t one that needed to be weighed when purchased. My guess is it had a scan code on it and I would bet that they paid for it (after you left the store technically in advance of that payment).
In May when Reg graduated from high school, the principal (who was at our school for 2 short but VERY LONG years) referenced ‘YOU ARE ENOUGH’ in his speech. He annunciated a different word, or different syllable each of the 50-some times he said it in his 12 minute speech. By the time he was done speaking, I’d had ENOUGH. I like to think our lawsuit had everything to do with his decision to leave the district. Families from his former school shared the same sentiments while in the stands at a basketball game. He liked to hear himself talk while saying NOTHING.
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I forgot to answer your grocery question. I JUST wrote a post about my grocery difficulties yesterday. I grew accustomed to having a college/driving age kid wrangle a handful of groceries for me over Christmas break. We never seemed to be able to get everything in one visit. Totally disorganized was I. I’m trying to get back on track. Shopping on Sat or Sun with no midweek runs, if possible. I now have a google doc with a list of items and can print it off, circle the stuff we need, and the list helps jog my memory for items me might need. So many people suggested online lists/shopping with a delivery system. I might have to look into that. Sounds so simple. I do Costco every other week – usually midweek.
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Ernie, during the pandemic when we wanted to make sure we got all the weekly groceries we needed we used curbside pick-up, I had a list like the one you made. It kept us organized and made me feel on top of things during a scary time. I’m glad you’re trying that approach. Obviously you shop for a much larger crowd than we do, so it seems sensible. We’ve used Kroger front door delivery once, but the extra charge didn’t justify the expense. HOWEVER I have a friend who swears by it.
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Ernie, we’d have nudged the cart BUT those darned special displays were everywhere in the store on that Sunday. It was the week before the Super Bowl & two weeks to Valentine’s Day so every company was trying to get you to buy their special stuff by sticking it in your path. Annoying.
The bouquets in Kroger are pre-priced, hadn’t thought of the weighing the flowers aspect of this possible theft.
I’d never heard of this “You Are Enough” mantra until I saw it on the woman’s sweatshirt. Apparently it’s a *thing* though— one that I missed. That principal guy was all foam no beer.
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How wonderful! I like to think she was saying thank you and rewarding Z-D for his patience. Lord knows most men shopping lack those. 😂 I don’t have a particular day I do the shopping since a trip to the grocery store is mostly just for my stuff that can’t be purchased at Costco. He-Man does the Costco run Tuesday or Wednesday mornings.
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Deborah, I’m thinking you’re right, that the flowers were a thank you. Z-D is one of the few men [I guess] who is mellow when shopping in the grocery. He likes food and people don’t perturb him very much.
Nice that you have someone to go to Costco for you. I like those places but so large and none near us. For us it’s a monthly outing to go to one.
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Of course I believe this: You just can’t make this stuff up!
What next? Pay it forward with a few alterations to the process.
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Marian, I was thinking that you can’t make it up thing as I wrote this. I just wander through my life and wait to see what happens next. Why write fiction when you have suburban life‽ 😁
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Hahaha!
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WordPress got me again on the comment.
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Looks like that went through, so I’ll try again.
I would have been concerned about the same thing – theft of the flowers. It was a nice gesture from the couple. I admit to a lack of patience with those who leave their carts blocking the aisle, but not so much if it’s a senior citizen. Let’s just say, it’s rarely them that are the problem!
I shop for certain items at certain stores, so I tend to grocery shop three times/week. Always first thing in the morning, to avoid the crowd.
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Hello Bijoux, thanks for persisting and getting a comment to go through.
I’ll admit that this older couple were so determined to find the right cereal that we didn’t want to disturb their focus by moving their cart. Also that might have been disorienting for them? I dunno, seemed best to just wait patiently.
We’re the same, going to a few different stores to buy certain things. Around here shopping mid-afternoon is the best as in fewer people around. Mornings and evenings are crazy.
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Phooey! Bad WordPress 🤨
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It’s an interesting story Ally, especially because it’s subject to interpretation. The in-the-aisle apology was gesture enough but the flowers make it a sort of “Life is Good” encounter. I believe this couple had every intention of paying for your flowers (which I assume were a part of their bouquet). On a related note, we shop at our markets every day except Wednesday (Senior Day). Even though we qualify for the senior discount, the aggravation of slow shoppers who take up the aisles without regard for others is maddening enough to stay away. If I knew an apology was coming I’d be more tolerant, but sadly it rarely seems to be the case.
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Dave, you’re right of course. This situation is about how you interpret it. We’re leaning into believing that the couple paid for the bouquet at checkout and it was all on the up and up. I don’t know if/when our Kroger has a senior discount day. I’ve never thought about that, but now I’ll be researching it. Like you I’d rather avoid that experience entirely, let the seniors do their shopping without any young whippersnappers such as us in their way.
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I have always been an affable person in places like grocery stores. But I admit to finally having lost patience with the multitudes of people who, lost in their cell phones, stand dead center in the middle of an aisle, peering into the phone while unaware they are blocking the aisle for everyone else. I sometimes bump the cart, or just full steam ahead make my way past them, choosing to be as unaware as they are. So my take is that the couple were chagrined to realize that they had been holding you up and grateful that you were kind about it. So when they bumped into you again at the check out, decided to acknowledge it with the flowers. And I am going to try to find my former kinder attitude.
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Nina, you raise an excellent point about clueless grocery shoppers looking at their cell phones, rather than being aware of what they’re doing i.e. shopping in a store with other real people. I’ve run into that and will gladly move their carts aside. And mutter.
I like your take on how this couple responded to us once they realized what they’d done. For us it was no big deal, we’ll be that age eventually [I hope], but maybe not everyone is able to understand that being kind to your elders is a way to ensure good karma later in life.
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I live in NYC which is in itself a weird experience. As to grocery shopping, I do a small shop almost every day. It’s whatever fits into my schedule
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LA, yep NYC is a weird experience and I can imagine that doing your grocery shopping daily drives that reality home.
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I grocery shopped in NYC in the early 99s and still have not gotten over the teeny carts for teeny stores. The markets were about the size of our 7elevens. I was on vacay with my BF, who worked at a supermarket, and we went to RedApple every day because the clerks were sooooo rude that it cracked us up. Joel would have lost his job if he’d acted like them (no eye contact, hostile, seeming offended to have to hand us change,….)
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LeendaDLL, sounds like quite an experience. I’ve visited NYC but never went to any grocery stores.
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😉
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Oh, so sweet. Perhaps in another dimension where time isn’t linear, the flowers were already paid for.
Love this story. Reminds me of your shopping story about the chips. Hmm, you have a lot of adventures at the store!
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Wynne, you rock! I love your explanation of why we shouldn’t fret about whether the flowers were paid for. SO SENSIBLE.
If I didn’t go grocery shopping, my life would be much duller. Funny how the tale of accidentally stealing chips is one that everyone seems to remember about me. 🙄
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Only because it rounded out so nicely with the 6-pack story! 🙂
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Ha! Oh yes, that one. Those two stories put together suggest I’m a miscreant who likes top-shelf beer. Well at least half of that sentence is true. 🍻
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So clever… 🙂
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I think I understand why it felt a bit off to you—they hadn’t yet paid for the flowers and were handing you one of them. I would’ve thought, “Am I part of a theft?” too! But, honestly, it was such a lovely gesture, and I think they really appreciated that you didn’t give them attitude about the wait. You and your husband were so kind to them, and I think they were recognizing that rare moment of compassion. They were “seeing” the humanity in both of you, and I believe that’s what they wanted to acknowledge.
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Kari, your explanation is what I’m choosing to believe was the catalyst for handing Zen-Den the flowers. They seemed like a nice couple, just trying to shop in a crowded store. And haven’t we all been in that situation? Honestly we didn’t think a thing about waiting a minute or so for them to find their cereal. The situation was weird in the possible theft part but not in the random acts of kindness part. If nothing else, our shopping trip that day was memorable.
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I do like the slogan–always hoping it comforts an anxious teen living in a society that constantly insists your have to achieve to justify your existence. I avoid carts at all costs, preferring to walk with the move maneuverable hand basket. The better to avoid the annoying displays crowding the aisles.
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Autumn, yes we do live in a society that pushes the idea that you’re only as good as your achievements, as determined by external values. I’d never seen or heard the “You Are Enough” idea before.
I like your hand basket idea. It’d be much easier to negotiate those stupid displays in the aisles and dodge around other shoppers. Will keep it in mind.
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It is sweet but odd. I would normally leave it at sweet but with the advent of the number of Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs peoples out there, one never knows. It is a sad state of affairs. Unfortunately, we hit the Kroger or Safeway on the weekend.
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Danny, yes. yes: sweet but odd. I like how you summarize the experience. You’re right about the increasing number of Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs people in our world. She was kind of nutty but in a harmless way.
Grocery shopping on weekends can be chaotic, but around here it’s the best time to find the shelves completely stocked.
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I found noonish on Saturday to be the best time for stocked shelves.
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No kidding! I wonder if it’s the same way here? The things I learn from bloggy friends.
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As long as the flowers were part of a priced bouquet (vs pay by weight), it matters not that she gave them to yall. It’s like when a frazzled parent buys a snack and lets the kid eat it in the store, then has the cashier scan the wrapper to pay for the goods. I’ve seen that happen. I think your gal was just handing out kindness.
On the other hand, I was at the pharmacy yesterday, and a woman with an attitude arrived and started invading my personal space, trying to get the staff to tend to her. The supervisor came forward to listen to her. But, just then, my staffer asked the supervisor for help in figuring out my issue. Both of them huddled at the computer and kept their attention on my situation, instead of dropping me to deal with her. She was not having it. I have never seen a person get so riled up so quickly. I kept trying to think of something to say to her. To put her in her place? To calm her down? To ask her WTF? Never seen anything like it. But, she ended up leaving in a huff, and we all acted like it hadn’t happened. Now, that was weird.
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Gwen, you’re right that as long as the flowers were from a set price bouquet and they paid for the bouquet, then all is good in regard to possible theft. Plus it was a lovely gesture of unexpected kindness.
Your story at the pharmacy is one for the books. WHAT THE HECK, LADY? I don’t know what I’d have done or said either. Part of me would have wanted to make a sweeping bowing gesture as I said “Your Majesty” while the other half would have just given her the evil eye knowing that karma is a bitch and she knows where you live. 😒
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Interesting to say the least, and I’d guess they felt bad about holding you up with their cart in the aisle. As for the payment timing, well, I’ve seen strange things at the store like half eaten food so that probably wouldn’t bother me since they were in line. I normally arrive at the grocery store around 8-8:30 in the morning so I can avoid the crowd and get in and out. We are one of the states with an older population, of which I am one, so I guess that’s why I’m there early – to avoid me. 🙂
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Judy, I’ve seen evidence that someone has eaten/drank food/drink while shopping in the grocery. Like when I see a candy bar wrapper or an empty beer bottle laying on a shelf over in the pet food aisle [for instance]. But I’ve not seen someone actually pay for what they consumed while shopping.
I’m loving your last sentence which explains your shopping schedule: We are one of the states with an older population, of which I am one, so I guess that’s why I’m there early – to avoid me. Too funny!
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The case of the purloined pansies, hey? I’m sure the Kroger’s has their ace detectives working on the case! I try to only go to the grocery twice a week.
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Jan, my guess is that Kroger detectives are more concerned with stopping employees who take five finger discounts, than one older couple who may, or may not, have remembered to pay for some flowers. Twice a week shopping trips make sense to me. That’s a good plan.
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I hope you’re right! 😉
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Well, now I am going to look up the ‘You Are Enough Movement ‘ out of curiosity. And, maybe they did pay for the flowers when they left. I like to think positive of people especially giving ones.
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Venus, I’m with you. I shall think the best of this couple and assume they paid for the flowers. If nothing else, the flowers looked pretty in a glass on our kitchen counter. Pretty charms me.
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How sweet that was! You probably reminded them of themselves when they were younger. I’m sure they paid for the flowers when it was their turn. And how nice that Z-D goes grocery shopping with you. With my almost 100-year-old MIL living next door I do the shopping for both of us and hubby stays home to listen in case she calls out or falls. We haven’t done things together in quite a while now but even when we did, grocery shopping was not such an enjoyable experience. We have different ways of doing it and it occasionally led to some tension – LOL. Happy Tuesday friend.
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Janet, I hadn’t thought of that! maybe we did remind them of their younger selves. They had a hippie vibe about them and there was Zen-Den with his long ponytail. Good thought.
I know many couples don’t go grocery shopping together knowing they’ll end up in an argument. Sometimes we do, if I’m tired and he’s all “let’s double back seven gazillion times to make sure we didn’t miss something.” When I’m done shopping I’m done.
Your MIL is doing okay overall? I know she needs your help. I’m glad you’re able to provide it, though stuff like that can take a toll on the caregivers.
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She is doing well. She keeps saying she’s ready to go but also keeps hanging on LOL.
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I’m smiling about that one. Yes, yes, but NO! I get that.
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Kindness comes in so many different forms! ♡
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Donna, so it does. I only hope this example of kindness was paid for!
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I’m have never been so lucky to have expected flowers tossed at me, or even expected flowers. I’m sure they will pay for it then they scan their bouquet twice. I once had a stranger throw herself at me. Literally. I was stopped at a red light in the convertible and this woman hopped in and said she always wanted to ride in a convertible and she was just going across the bridge, would I mind. Of course I minded but I did it anyway. She looked ditzy but not crazy. And then once after a particularly long day a TSA agent waved me through into the VIP line which was greatly unexpected and massively appreciated.
I grocery shop like a European. Well, what I imagine is like a European. I’ll go every couple of days for fresh produce and meats or fish and buy only on an as needed basis. Small kitchen with limited space. What can I say? I let the store store my extras on their shelves.
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Micheal, laughing about your observation that the older couple will pay for the flowers twice when they mess up while getting that little UPC code to ring up.
Weird on many levels about a woman jumping into your car with you. Wonderful about the TSA agent sending you through the VIP line. THAT’S a true kindness.
We grocery shop like you do. We go every few days to one of a few stores we like. A little bit there, a little bit here, keeps our pantry full enough.
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A little bit here, a little bit there. That’s sort of how I take on life.
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Smart. You’re a shining star of common sense.
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I shop around noon most Mondays. There are never any loony people that I notice. I all seem to be hurrying to have lunch.
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Anne, generally speaking I don’t run into too many loony people at our closest Kroger, regardless of when I/we shop. BUT some of the other groceries we go to are filled with, shall we call them, characters.
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This was a lovely experience, and it surely made the givers happy. How wonderful that you and Z-D did not refuse their gift or make them feel awkward. I’m sure they paid for the flowers. Why believe otherwise?
“You are enough” is a great reminder to all of us. These days, it should be accompanied by a reminder that “You have enough.” Unfortunately, the psychopaths among us will never understand.
Bill and I shop about once a week, though often have to run back to Kroger for some forgotten or newly-needed item. We like shopping together and our system sounds much like yours: he pushes the cart and scans the prices. I find what we’re looking for and hand him the goods.
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Donna, it happened too fast for us to decline the flowers. I mean it was unexpected but also harmless. And we’re kind of go with the flow shoppers, so why not say “thank you” and accept the flowers?
I like your rewording of the slogan: You Have Enough. Yep, that idea seems to be lost on many people.
We do like you do, one main weekly trip then a few smaller ones to get a few other things. It works for us and is fun now that we’re never in a hurry after work.
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What a weird thing to have happen.
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Anneli, it took us by surprise. Not a bad surprise, just totally unexpected at the end of a long shopping trip.
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That was so sweet of her to give the flowers to your husband — paid or unpaid. I did have a young man run after me at college and hand me a flower. Never saw him again.
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E.A. Wickham, it was a sweet gesture and I’ll remember it as such… putting aside the possible illegality of it. A guy in college gave you a flower! That’s romantic even if the relationship never happened.
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It was a moment I remembered all these years later.
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That’s never happened to me before but it’s sweet! Older people can be quirky; perhaps that’s my excuse these days? I take my mom to the grocery store and help her shop but do pick up for myself. I don’t need to make more impulse buys!
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Margaret, the flowers were a sweet thank you [I guess] but also out of the blue. We’re all hoping they were paid for eventually. Shopping with someone older can be trying, so it’s good that you help her. You impulse shop in the grocery! You’re right that doing pick-up would stop you. We all figure out what works.
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How sweet! These are the kind of people that make life good! Yes, it’s a little odd…and yes, it was maybe a little questionable legally for a few minutes. But how uplifting to get a few flowers AND a t-shirt message saying that you are enough!
My wish is to be a quirky old lady like that! (I’m well on my way!)
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Michelle G., hear, hear! I want to join you in being a quirky old lady. That seems like a good goal. And while there may be some gray areas surrounding the purchase of the flowers, they looked pretty in our kitchen so I’m sure it all okay.
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I’ve had so many weird coincidences and stuff happening to me that I can’t pick one and tell you 😂. There’s been a lot of craziness in this Pancake life of mine…
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Fedora Pancake, I take your point. This is a recent weirdness but I’m sure if I dug deep I could uncover a few more weirdnesses that were weirder! 😜
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I bet you could. Huge thanks for sharing, though!
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I love the sweatshirt message, and it seems you were more than enough! Enough to score flowers!
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Pink, good point! I like how you think.
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Random acts of kindness!! I love it!!
Do to my disabling aches, I now grocery shop online. I remain totally random about when I shop, usually waiting till I’m nearly (or totally) out of food (I livecalone).
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LeendaDLL, I enjoy going grocery shopping in person but have done the online approach too. Both are great options.
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I haaaated online grocery shopping till I had no choice. Now I prefer it… no impulse buying!
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I can understand that. Grocery shopping is buy what you need— and then a little more.
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Btw: I’ve never rec’d a few flowers but being chill in supermarkets has resulted in great convos. I distinctly recall the woman who was so laser focused that she nearly hit me with her cart. She aplogized profusely and I just laughed about it. Then I learned she was focused on a “buy 2, get 3 free” for Lay’s chips and I left with 5 bags!
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LeendaDLL, that’s hilarious. Pay attention to people and you never know where it might lead. Yay chips!
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I don’t think it’s weird, but nothing like that has happened. On the other hand, having the aisle blocked by someone searching for an item happens on a regular basis. Like you, I don’t bother to complain. I think it was a nice gesture and since the flowers would be paid for I doubt your guilty.
As for “You are enough” – I’m not sure what that means. I’ve been told I was “too much” but never enough.
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Dan, it wasn’t weird in a bad sense of the word, just weird in the unusual sense of the word. We really didn’t feel inconvenienced by this couple who were clearly on a mission to save money. I don’t feel guilty about taking the flowers regardless, they were pretty.
I like knowing that you are “too much” because no doubt that has been said about me. I’ve never seen the “You Are Enough” mantra before so something new for me.
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Ding dang it. I just posted a long comment only to be told it couldn’t be posted…why??!
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Gigi, thanks for trying. While I attempt to not take it personally that WP eats my comments I do take it personally. I understand.
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Ok, so that one went through; I’ll try again.
I don’t do the grocery shopping. The only time I wander into the grocery store is to pick up wine or baking supplies. A stranger once bought be a lottery ticket as a thank you for pointing out he’d dropped money as he was checking out. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a winner but I still remember his thoughtfulness. I’d like to think your flowers weren’t stolen (The Husband recently informed me that the nearest grocery store was giving away bouquets after Valentines day; so maybe they were freebies?).
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Gigi, wine? baking supplies? You are a woman after my own heart. Priorities.
That’s wonderful a stranger bought you a lottery ticket. In fact, that’s ingenious. This happened prior to Valentine’s Day but I noticed the same thing as your husband. Our local Kroger was doing the same thing last Sunday. Kind of sweet, I thought.
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I don’t think it was a weird experience at all. People do nice things often, but they go unreported, and we therefore think it’s kind of weird.
And since they were paying for the flowers, there’s no illegality there. If it was a product where the price depended on weight, then yes it would be stealing. I’m sure you’ve seen people eating a bunch of grapes as they shop.
I’m sure this lady is the joyful kind and wants others to feel the same.
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Alegria, your take on this makes me smile. Assuming the couple paid for the bouquet then all is good. Twas an act of kindness for sure and we’re happy. I know my concern is nothing, but also a reflection of the times in which we live. I’ll go with a good gesture. .
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You always have the best experiences while you are in your local grocery store. Cheers to the elder couple for sharing goodwill to you two! 💖
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Awakening Wonders, I sometimes wonder what I’d write about here if I didn’t go grocery shopping! Most of the time the experiences are good ones, worthy of a story, but occasionally I end up worried about the fate of humanity. Some people…
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How kind! She was probably so touched that you waited patiently without the slightest trace of annoyance.
I prefer to shop early in the morning when the store is mostly empty.
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The Travel Architect, I believe your assessment of what happened is spot on. I know that many people would have been upset so the flowers are a thank you which we appreciate regardless of how, or if, they were paid for.
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I don’t think the gift of flowers was weird. It was just a little apology for blocking the cereal aisle. Although, technically, you left the store before they paid for the flowers, I suspect they were part of a bouquet and the bouquet was paid for. I shop at a Krogers, and that’s how they sell them.
Friendliness is always a good thing. I get a lot of pleasure out of talking to friendly strangers and helping each other out, holding the door and smiling, answering questions, etc.
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Nicki, I feel the same way as long as the flowers were paid for then all is good. I like kindness even when it surprises me. As with this situation.
I do many lowkey kind things, too. I’m equally amazed by those who don’t notice as those who do. I expect nothing for being kind, but am pleased when it is noticed.
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Ally, sometimes I have to wonder about these questions. Like, do you really want to know when and how often I go to the grocery store? (If so, usually once a week on Tuesday or Wednesday and almost always without the spousal unit.)
Okay, technically she hadn’t yet paid for the flowers, but do you doubt she was going to? So, there you go. A sweet woman showing off that she is enough and you and Zen-Den are enough and all is right with the world.
How do I know all is right with my world? I’ve been thinking of blasting out of here for a personal vacay. So yesterday I looked online for the Tucson Mountain Park and learned they’d just refurbished part of the campground and would start taking reservations today at 10 am. That is serendipity, I tell you! I scored my camp site for the first week of March. Yahoo!
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Eilene, I only ask questions that I want to know the answers to, BUT I don’t expect everyone to answer every question. Just a place to start if’n you want. Love to see where peoples’ minds go.
We assumed she paid for the flowers so nothing kinky was going on. I’m thrilled that you got a camp site in the park. That’s not always so easy, definitely serendipity. For you and that you’re the second couple I know who is going to Tucson in March. Popular place.
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That’s a nice story. I’m glad you two are the patient shopping type. I’m so bothered by people abandoning carts in the middle of the aisle. I’ll try to be more like you. Funny about the “stolen” flowers. I’m sure it counts that they were about to be bought. They are lovely, and I’m sure it made that couple, esp. the woman, happy to be able to give them to you.
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Ilsa Rey, for the most part we are mellow grocery shoppers. I expect people to inconvenience me so when it happens I feel like a wise woman for knowing it would happen. Turns shopping at Kroger into a game of sorts.
The woman in the “You Are Enough” sweatshirt was smiling when she handed the flowers to Z-D, like she was tickled to be able to give them to him. He, on the other hand, looked totally baffled which made me smile! 😁
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Both women in the scenario were smiling. That sounds like a win. 🙂
Good call on expecting the inconvenience. I’ll try to take that approach from now on. Then I, too, can be wise like you.
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Arrive pre-amused. That was one of those self-help ideas from decades ago that I’ve actually found useful over the years.
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“Arrive pre-amused.” Oh, that’s actually quite funny! I will keep that in mind. It’s a great attitude adjustment. Thank you. 🙂
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This definitely falls into the category of weird. The first weird incident I thought of in a similar vein was when I sold my SUV to a woman, twenty years my junior. The day after we completed the transaction, she left some flowers for me in the school office. I was completely baffled. I’m sure it wasn’t some kind of strange romantic gesture, but I don’t know what it was. I came to the conclusion that it was her way of saying thank you. You can imagine the look on my wife’s face when I came home and told her what had happened. Very weird!
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Pete, I agree your bouquet of flowers, under those circumstances, was weird. I suppose it was meant in kindness, but selling your SUV was a business transaction so, to my way of thinking, the flowers were odd. But pretty I suppose.
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Hmm – it is a little odd. Maybe you two reminded her of she and her main squeeze a decade or so ago and that is why you were gifted. It was too early for “Random Act of Kindness Day” which was yesterday.
I go grocery shopping early in the day, but do it in combination with other errands and always on a weekday to beat the crowds. That is most of the time – in Fall, I buy all my pantry items for the entire Winter so I only have to go out for perishables and even then, I have non-perishables to use to tide me over (like now when my driveway is a sheet of ice).
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Linda, I didn’t know that yesterday was Random Act of Kindness Day. Suddenly I’m understanding why this post has gotten so many views.
Your shopping plan is great. Makes sense, especially getting in a lot of pantry items ahead of any winter bad weather. I do similar here, but still try to hit the old K Roger a few times a week. We all do what works.
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Yes, it was Monday and that might have been the reason your benefactor gave Z-D roses … a little offbeat, but, still thoughtful.
I don’t ever recall anything like that happening at the grocery store … Michiganders are a tough bunch, but people are kinder in your neck of the woods. 🙂
I only drove to work while working at the diner in college. It was not even a half-mile away but I had to be on the floor by 6:45 a.m., so I drove. After I finished school I worked in downtown Detroit for decades so I took the bus, so I my winter driving skills are not the best … I avoid it if possible.
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I could not love this more. I love that you gave them grace, I love that they gave you flowers, and I love her sweatshirt. ALL OF IT. I believe that they paid for the flowers, otherwise they would not have had the rest of the bouquet in their cart. However, I do not even care if they didn’t. I love it even if they stole flowers to give you. That store overcharges for things half the time. (Not that store specifically, because I don’t know that store. All stores.)
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J, I’m glad this resonated with you. I thought this was a sweet experience too— other than the small mystery about payment for the flowers. But l can overlook that as well. Even if the flowers were never properly purchased I’m sure Kroger’s bottom line won’t be negatively impacted. 🤔
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I think they were touched by your patience and wanted to acknowledge it. A lovely gesture.
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Sadje, that’s what we thought, too. We weren’t inconvenienced more than a minute while waiting for them to find the cereal, but I suppose that’d be too long of a wait for some irritable people who’d have snarled at them.
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A lovely unexpected gesture….
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Carol, it was definitely unexpected and the three flowers looked cute sitting in a juice glass on the kitchen counter.
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They look very cute in your image…
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The sceptic in me said they were being kind but did not pay for the flowers. Until I noted it was just three flowers. Then, it was only a kind gesture on their part as a response to your well-mannered interaction. To give them to Zen-Den and not you was the strangest part. It’s still a fun experience. The flowers are pretty.
Shopping-
I try to keep out of the grocery store. It is not completely possible as I like to eat and cook at home. I dislike online shopping for food so, its a necessary chore.
Once every 2-3 weeks is enough. Fresh items I source each week from local small suppliers and the farmers markets. Do you have them in your city?
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Amanda, your reasoning makes sense. I admit that in my skeptical mind I wondered if they’d gone through the store with the bouquet in their cart handing out a few flowers to various people until they had no more flowers, then when time to pay they *forgot* to do so. An uncharitable thought, I suppose.
I know grocery shopping can be a chore. Your plan seems sensible. We have farmers’ markets May through October when there is local produce available, but even then the ones closest aren’t consistent in their quality so it’s often back to a big grocery store for something.
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Oh of course, you have a snowy winter – there would be no crops grown locally then! Silly me. We grow things all year round here, one of the few advantages of a sub tropical climate.
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The universe certainly was playing a mind game on you. Perhaps Z-D has been doubting himself and they sent his fairy godmother along to cheer him up and give him a message.
Side note: I do like that text on a shirt
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Snow, I like this interpretation of what happened. It makes sense in as much sense as can be had concerning this situation. The flowers were pretty and a story was told.
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I don’t think it’s weird at all! I think it’s sweet. I love the shirt as well.
We do most of our grocery shopping via pickup at Kroger with trips to the smaller Publix for when we need a handful of items. I’m also a firm believer that the cereal display should be alphabetical by cereal name regardless of manufacturer.
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Linda, the experience was sweet in its own way. The sweatshirt message was a new saying for me, but some commenters here knew of it.
We did pickup at Kroger during the stay-at-home portion of the pandemic, but now we’re going back inside again. I LOVE your idea about the cereal arrangement. YES!!!
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I have never had anyone hand me flowers in the grocery store. Legal or not, though, it was an act of kindness.
I go grocery shopping on an as-needed basis. Like today, when I need to shop for minimal items at two different stores. I try to be patient when I shop, so go on any days other than the weekend. Don’t mind shopping for groceries because I need them, want them, look forward to shoving them into my mouth. 😉😁
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Mary, I agree that it was a random act of kindness, maybe made even kinder considering all the fun conversations it engendered.
I feel the same way about grocery shopping. I like being around food, seeing all the possibilities in the grocery store, looking forward to eating something. It’s win win.
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We go shopping everytine I get paid, so twice a month. Sometimes on Wed at one store, sometimes the weekend at 3 stores. Never had someone randomly give me a gift, I would be suspicious. Their gesture was quite odd, being that all you did was wait patiently, I would get it more if you helped them find the cereal.
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M., your shopping plan makes sense. I can see that.
Excellent point about how if we helped them find the cereal, the flowers of gratitude would be less weird.
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I vote weird in the best sense of the word because you don’t see it often (ever?) and it came from a kind place. I also 100% agree those were stolen flowers but by them not you bc they gave them to you as if they were paid for. Glass half full thought: maybe they checked them out earlier so when they saw you they were ready? 🙂
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Laura, you’re right that this was weird in a good way, nothing nefarious. I want to believe that the couple paid for the flowers so we didn’t accept stolen merchandise. But if we did, oh well, nothing to be done about it now.
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Whatever the reason…whether paid for or not…you’ll remember these people, the sweatshirt message, the kindness. Maybe the chance encounter is a reminder from the universe to think on good things.
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Crystal, you’re right, I will remember this couple and will attempt to put the possible illegality of it out of my mind. It was a kind gesture in a world where they’re becoming a rarity.
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I love that this happened. Weird? Never. Beautiful loving action from a wide open heart? But of course! I’m thinking we can only be inspired to share in the same spirit when we’re overcome with appreciation for this moment of now. Perhaps it’s even a gesture of love toward a world that often appears devoid of compassion. We can keep trying, can’t we? Thank you, Ally Bean.
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Kathy, we’ve enjoyed the flowers and have done our best to overlook the issue of payment for said. It surprised us, the woman and her sweatshirt message. Not in a bad way, just in a people ain’t usually so friendly around here way. If nothing else this experience was a catalyst for a blog post that has lead to many comments, many varying points of view. It’s been fascinating.
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WP Gremlins ate my comment again. I’ll keep trying.
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Suzanne, I’m familiar with those gremlins and tire of their antics. Thanks for trying.
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Hmmmm, I would say unusual, not totally weird. And the closer I get to 70, the more I understand this kind of spontaneous behavior. As for whether they paid, I guess you just have to overlook that and be glad an alarm didn’t go off when you left the store!
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Barbara, unusual is a better word to explain what happened. Thank you. I hadn’t thought about an alarm going off, but you’re right none did so all is good? 🤷♀️
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Do you believe this was a weird experience? Of the highest order.
Has anything like this happened to you— that is, having a stranger, who might be a little Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, spontaneously hand you a gift? Walking around San Francisco once, a stranger handed me a “ticket” and said I was being cited for excessive good looks. Does that count? (Totally a scam for spare change by the way.)
How often to you go grocery shopping? Do you prefer a certain day and/or time of day? Once a week, usually Saturday. Not my preference but it’s convenient.
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Mark, thank you. I tend to also think this was a weird experience, not scary weird just not normal weird.
Your SF “ticket” experience is weirder than our experience. Not because I don’t believe in your good looks, but because your experience involved a panhandler with a financial goal in mind.
I understand about your shopping day. You gotta get to the grocery when you can.
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Now that sounds like a sweet experience. Even though they hadn’t yet paid for the flowers, they were in line to do so and they were going to pay full price even though their bouquet was now short three flowers. Now, if the flowers were being sold by the pound (or perhaps the ounce), then you’d have a problem.
I’m rarely the recipient of a gift by stranger. Just never in the right place at the right time with the right stranger.
Did the woman’s sweatshirt only say You Are Enough; that is, no artwork or anything? It could be taken as a positive, like you are enough as you are, you don’t need to be perfect.
So I go shopping about twice a week (Monday and Thursday) because I go to a yoga class twice a week. My classes are near a supermarket and a coop that I like to patronize. And I do my shopping alone since my husband doesn’t go to yoga with me. I do get tired of it sometimes since he always wants/needs foodstuff that I don’t consume (goat milk, beet juice, carrot juice, kefir, coconut water) and sometimes I forget or they’re out of stock. Today I kind of went on strike and only picked up some club soda. Monday will come soon enough 😉
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Marie, I agree that as long as the flowers were purchased as a set price bouquet then the three flowers we received were not stolen merchandise.
The sweatshirt only said “You Are Enough” in white letters on a black background. I imagine your interpretation is spot on. I don’t remember ever seeing that saying before.
I like your yoga class/grocery store run plan. Makes complete sense. Your husband likes some things I’ve never had. Club soda, however, I know all about!
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I hope they paid for the flowers! They seemed like nice people though!
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L. Marie, definitely pleasant people, intent on getting the most for their money— and I understand that so it was no problem to wait in the cereal aisle.
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Weirdly enough, that was the second time I tried to post. It wouldn’t take my first comment, which included a strange incident that happened to me.
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L. Marie, thanks for trying. I’m sorry WP thwarted you from telling your tale, but the WP commenting system is more gremlin than facilitator. I have issues with it too, so now I copy my comment before I hit SEND in case my comment is eaten and I’m forced to try again. Which happens about 60% of the time.
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I love this Ally: they were so bowled over by your kindness in waiting patiently earlier that they returned that kindness with some almost-stolen flowers 🌺 I believe they went on to pay for the flowers (& if they were barcoded 3 missing ones won’t have impacted the price)…I think once upon a time people’s patience would have been a common place thing, but now it’s so rare that when this older couple experienced your graciousness they felt compelled to reward it. That’s my take anyway. Maybe they hand out stolen flowers all over town 🤣
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Rae Cod, you’re onto something with your idea that people in general aren’t patient like they once were, especially when shopping in a grocery store. I’m smiling about your thought that this older couple may go around town handing out flowers to strangers, in which case we were part of their pattern of random acts of kindness. No matter if the flowers were paid for, they were pretty.
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Weird? Perhaps. I’d probably go with ‘unusual’ though, since they seem to be harmless. Surely they remembered how gracious the two of you were when they PARKED in the middle of the aisle, holding you up. (People do this all the time and it baffles me!)
I’ve not had any unusual incidents lately in the grocery store. I mean, people parking in the middle of the aisle isn’t unusual to me any longer. 🫣
Next time, I’d like to hear about someone opening up a dozen eggs and gifting you at least half…that IS a gift!
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Suz, unusual is a better way to describe what happened. You’re right about how baffling it is that someone will park in the middle of the supermarket aisle YET it happens.
Wonderful idea about gifting eggs! They’re precious beyond belief now. Who’d of thunk it could come to this?
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Well, after skimming through all the comments here, I’ve decided that I am not as nice as your other readers because I simply do not care one whit if she paid for the flowers. I hate Kroger because of how our local stores have changed in recent years. On top of locking down so many items (laundry detergent!) and making a separate, weirdly enclosed area for cosmetics and hair care items (necessitating two checkouts if you need any of those items), they now post security guards at the doors who look briefly at your receipt and your cart and then drag a highlighter over your receipt for no discernible reason. In addition to treating us all as potential criminals who must “prove” we did not steal (ridiculous, as there is no way they are doing any kind of real check between the receipt and the contents of the cart, at least not for people who look like me), they create yet another line for us to stand in. Perhaps if they eliminated self-checkout, fired the security people and rehired cashiers, and stopped asking us to do their labor for free, we could all have a kinder, more pleasant shopping experience. I mostly grocery shop now at small, local places (but sometimes want something I can only get at a large store). I would never want to take anything without paying from my produce or meat market, but if some lady accidentally (or even accidentally on purpose) got out of a place owned by a corporation like Kroger without paying for a bouquet of flowers, I’m sure not going to worry about it. In fact, I might take even more pleasure in those flowers. They are not going to be the real reason for any price hikes or new “security” measures.
(Don’t get me started on my feelings about how I have to sign up with a card to track all my purchases in order to get a “discounted” price…)
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Rita, your shopping experiences at Kroger are vastly different than mine. We have no security guards, no enclosed areas for laundry detergent or cosmetic— or anything. We have U-scan lanes and cashier lanes open at all hours. We do have an account with them to get discounts, but that only requires inputting a string of digits and voilà the discounts happen. At Costco we go through the stand in line to exit, waiting for that magic highlighter swipe, but not at Kroger [yet?]. I’m sorry you go through all that you do.
That being said, I’m not losing sleep about whether Kroger got their money for the bouquet of flowers. The woman in the “You Are Enough” sweatshirt probably paid for the flowers. I will admit that the idea of being in possession of stolen merchandise made us start to laugh. Like the police were going to chase us down as we walked across the parking lot! As if…🙄
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I have so many questions. My HOPE is that they paid for the flowers and handed them to you in such an awkward timeframe because they were afraid they’d miss you otherwise. But I suppose they could have forgotten to pay for them? They certainly didn’t mean for YOU to buy the flowers for yourselves??? And also, what a lovely gesture, but… overkill, no? Unless they do this kind of thing (leaving their cart to block traffic) and get unpleasant responses and so yours was SO out of the ordinary they couldn’t NOT acknowledge it? Well. Any way I look at it, the whole encounter seems very odd. Nice. But nice enough to outweigh the oddness????? I don’t know.
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Suzanne, yes, it was odd. We didn’t feel like we’d done anything unique by patiently waiting, we could see they were trying to save money and who doesn’t want to do that? BUT maybe we are the exceptions so to thank us she gave us three flowers. It was a kind gesture, but being married to a lawyer as we walked to our car our conversation turned to: were these flowers paid for? And if not, were we stealing them? Thus the catalyst for this blog post happened… because weird situation… me thinks. 🤔
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Well, I think it was a very positive response because I’m smiling through your entire post. I don’t have time to read what everyone else thinks, but I think the couple DID pay for their groceries and I think they don’t often find people as patient as you and your guy, and their showing their gratefulness. Me? I go through grocery stores as little as possible. I get … I don’t know, claustrophobic? And, um, impatient with the person who hems and haws in front of items and take up the entire aisle. Rather inconsiderate. I have a Whole Foods nearby and order my items on the computer and ask for a certain time, pull up my car, open the trunk, and the grocery bags are placed in there with a smile. I always tip (even though many people don’t). It’s a win/win for me.
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Pam, yours is the prevailing opinion that because we were mellow and waited quietly they wanted to say thank you with a gesture of, what we’re assuming were, paid for flowers. I know the flowers looked pretty in the juice glass on the kitchen counter so I’m happy.
During the pandemic we ordered groceries online and then picked them up at an assigned time and location. It was convenient when we were organized enough to plan meals ahead. We weren’t supposed to tip, though. It was stated up front on the website.
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I know, we just give a couple of dollars each time but brings a smile on the person’s face and worth not following directions. 🙂
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Henceforth I’ll do that too. When I use that service I soooo appreciate it. Don’t know why I’m following the rules about that point. 🤔
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I would say it is a little weird, Ally, but a nice weird. And the flowers are pretty.
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Christie, I agree. Nice weird explains it. Doubt anything like this will ever happen to us again. And the flowers looked lovely sitting on the counter so all is good.
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I love these good news stories!
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Thanks, Jennie. Once you overlook the possibility that we were handed stolen merchandise, it’s a great story.
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Yes! You’re welcome, Ally.
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That’s a cool little story there, Ally. Sounds like they appreciated you and your husband not being dickwads while they were dilly-dallying in the cereal aisle. I love the message “You Are Enough” on her sweatshirt and feel like I need to snag myself one. I’ve got to say as well that your grocery shopping routine sounds so similar to ours. Mr. NOA is all business, list in hand with a pen so he can cross things off the list as we go. He is typically the cart-pusher. He loves to use the self-check-out, no matter how many things are in our cart. For him, it’s all in the name of efficiency, but it drives me nuts! I sometimes shoot a little “I’m sorry” look at people behind us when they have like 4 items to scan as opposed to our 86 items. LOL!
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Rhonda, I agree. I believe the flowers were a thank you gesture and that’s cool albeit unnecessary. The message on the sweatshirt was new to me. I guess it was a self-help saying years ago? A few commenters have mentioned this.
I’m so with you about the husband who will always go to the U-scan lanes instead of using a cashier. That kind of *efficiency* drives me bonkers, too. But there you go, people are who they are. 🤷♀️
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I think they were trying to pay you back for waiting so patiently in the aisle, when others would have gotten impatient and snarky. And I like to think they were paying for the flowers, they just wanted to share some with you, before you left the store. But I can see why you would have been worried!
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Ann, you’ve explained what happened in a way that makes sense and is how I see it, too. We were able to wait patiently without a second thought but I’ve come to realize many people wouldn’t have done the same. As for payment, SURE they paid for the flowers. Why did I even consider otherwise? 😉
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I laughed at your pondering. It never would have crossed my mind that the couple wouldn’t have paid for the flowers. Now, if the flowers were individually priced, that might have been a different matter, but I’m certain an older couple using paper coupons would have picked up one of those $6.99 grocery store mixed bouquets, not fancy flowers priced by the stem.
Spontaneous gifting happens often enough in my world that I hardly think of it, except to enjoy the feeling. Sometimes I receive, and sometimes I give — especially to people like the guards at the marinas where I work, or our postal clerks. Handing over the occasional muffin or cookie is so easy, and such fun.
As for that phrase on the woman’s sweatshirt, it’s one of those meaningless phrases that I mostly pay no attention to. ‘Enough’ what? I could answer that question in any number of ways!
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Linda, I’m married to a lawyer, so our conversation about whether the flowers were paid for was on target for us. He looks at life through the lens of the law. Of course not strictly enough to call out the couple about whether they paid.
Spontaneous gifting is a wonderful phrase, but something that I’ve rarely encountered in this part of the woods. I’m glad you’re able to make some random people randomly happy. Around here, we keep to ourselves.
I’d never seen “You Are Enough” on a sweatshirt or anywhere for that matter. New to me. I agree it is open for interpretation, but so was everything about this couple!
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I like to think the flowers were eventually paid for and that this was random (maybe a little odd but in a nice way) act of kindness, but I’m not sure how I would have reacted knowing they weren’t yet paid for when I left the store. “You Are Enough” is something I think we could use a little reminding of once in a good while. 🙂
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Robin, the act of giving Z-D the flowers was kind, but the details surrounding the payment of said flowers was a little… vague. HOWEVER the flowers were pretty.
I agree. That message could counteract doubt for someone who was unsure about what to do next.
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I now have a new favourite saying “cuckoo for coco puffs” – brilliant! Funny in a way that’s both chuckle-making and kind.
I’ve tried wearing T-shirts with slogans – for some reason, the uplifting, life-affirming type always make me feel awkward, I’m more at ease with cheeky slogans. I once worked for a secretarial temping agency with the tag line “we don’t blow jobs”. We were asked to wear T-shirts containing the tag line every Friday when we went to collect our pay. You can tell their clients didn’t number banks or similar, can’t you? 😉
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Deb, the “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs” saying is from my childhood, but holds true to this day.
Like you if I was to wear a t-shirt with a saying on it I’d wear something cheeky, not inspirational. I worked as a paralegal in a law office and we had T-shirts that said in reference to a computer brand: “Legal Secretaries Do It With A Wang.” 🙄
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Oh the wit 😉
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Hi Ally Bean, I did some house sitting in Ontario Canada last January and the new yoga studio had hoodies for sale – black ones with “You. Are. Enough.” in white letters on the front. I loved the message and can see how it is great to wear – but I did not feel like buying one. I do not like wearing logos or messages. Although when I was in middle school, I remember liking my Murphy’s law T-shirt – ha! Anyhow, this couple really sounds like they have a heart for people and connecting is their “thing” (so to speak – and maybe even a bit on the cuckoo side…. and I recall that commercial and love how you connected it in the post with our cereal buyers). My other thought immediately went to how terrible cereal is as a supposed food item… hmmmm
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Yvette, no kidding?!! You recently saw hoodies with the “You Are Enough” words on them. Well, I’ll be. I’d never seen that saying, yet some commenters told me it’s from a self-help book published decades ago. I don’t like to wear logos or messages on my sweatshirts, so I wouldn’t have bought one either.
I agree that the older couple seemed sincere enough and the flowers were a surprise. I know they found what they were looking for among the boxes of cereal, so I’m happy for them.
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I will see if I have any photos of the hoodies.
One of the yoga teachers, Jax, was wearing one twice when I went and so I might have one of her in it. If I do, I will come back and share it.
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