To the young man in the frozen foods aisle at Whole Foods Market, Los Altos.

Thank you for providing me with an opportunity today to share words of wisdom with my daughter while shopping at Whole Foods. It was the best $6 that I’ve ever spent.

Ana and I decided to get something to drink before we shopped for her food today.

Typically, I would not entertain spending $10 for two drinks, especially when I know half of the one drink will probably be wasted. After trying to blissfully ignore the fact that I paid way too much for a smoothie for my daughter, Ana and I continued.

Ten minutes later, we were standing in front of the pastries in the frozen section.

By then, the sleeve for her smoothie lost its effectiveness so she and I began doing the smoothie shuffle, passing the cold cup back and forth trying to figure out how I could hold both cups and the shopping basket.

Ignorant to any of the world around us, (as we were both standing there in our introverted space in the aisle), a young man approached Ana and me.

Of course, the first thing I noticed was his tattooed arms and how he and I both had a Japanese theme. At the end of his tattooed arm was a piece of butcher paper that he was folding in halves.

He offered us the piece of butcher paper which solved our current crisis. After he took Ana’s cup and wrapped the folded piece of paper around it, he handed it back to Ana with a smile.

At that moment, I was speechless. The phrase “much appreciated” was about all I could come up with after I just saw the thoughtfulness and kindness within this young man.

With our crisis averted, I walked away and processed what had just happened.

Here was this young man who is obviously very in touch with the world around him. How easily he could have been focused on other things.

But in that moment, he noticed that a little girl and her mom were poorly attempting to find a solution to a minor issue and he unconsciously made a choice to intervene. By doing so, he showed a quality in himself that I’m sure often goes unrecognized.

In that moment, he showed a little girl what thoughtfulness looks like and it came in the form of a piece of butcher paper being held by a tattooed man who possesses genuine qualities that you can’t teach or buy.

While in the fruit and veggie section, I took a moment and got down on Ana’s level.

I told her that what the young man did was very thoughtful and that she needs to surround herself with people who notice and step up without being asked or expect anything in return. I also told her that when she is old enough to have a boyfriend (or girlfriend), she should look for qualities in a person that don’t come with a price tag or expectation.

So today, I am thankful for the people who are and have recently come into my life who have these same qualities.

The wisdom I shared with my daughter that came from the $6 smoothie is priceless.

And, to all the single people out there searching for a good man, go to Whole Foods and find someone with whom you can do the “cold hands dance.”

Finally, thank you Mr. Young Man. Thank you for being you.

 

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Apprentice Editor: Brandie Smith/Editor: Travis May

Photo: Author’s Own.