Dominique Larntz * May 20, 2012

Retail Therapy

No different than many, it was a morning
when I ran into each red light on San Mateo–
but the guy at the garden center said,
“Ma’am may I take your cart back for you?”
after I silently heaved huge bags of
the potting soil I bought in bulk
to save money from cart to car.

“Thank you.

Wow, that is so nice.”

He was just the guy
from the van next to me,
not an employee,
joining my returning cart
alongside theirs,
matching strides
with his wife.

A gesture like that is simple
but so profound
in a complicated life.
For a long time I feel
I have been paving
an easier road for others
while driving my own gravel
and glass-strewn path nervously,
wishing sometimes for someone
to supply a smooth surface.

Giving and receiving arrive the same
in the brain’s chemical composition,
and mindless expectation
is a young person’s mirage.

But the relief of the moment
when the wheel turns and
I can allow myself to open
to the traffic flow of grace
from strangers as they freely offer
what they are able–
feels so good,
it is almost a secret.