It’s Fall, Y’all! That means pumpkins are a necessity! I know Aldi has good prices which is where I begin my pumpkin hunt. I decide I don’t need a shopping cart, because, after all, their pumpkins may not qualify. (In case you are wondering, the pumpkin checklist includes: cheap, round, sits flat, no grey patches, and has the perfect stem.) Basically, I can handle pumpkins by myself without a cart. That is never true, but it is what I tell myself. As it ends up, I find two perfect, large pumpkins. I manage, ever so gracefully, to get from the back of the store to the front carrying them by myself, without a cart. Once I’m in line, a kind lady helps me get them on the conveyor belt. She served me by being a kind neighbor in a grocery store. They were all kind neighbors!

As I check out, the cashier looks for my cart.  Clearly, there is no such thing because I did it by myself! As I begin to explain my transport plan to him, the two ladies just ahead of me offer to put my pumpkins in their shopping cart. I thank them and we all begin to laugh about my prideful plan of doing it by myself. As they graciously walk me to my car, escorting my pumpkins along the way, one of the ladies states, “We all need to be neighbors.” And I respond with, “We aren’t designed to live life alone. We need each other.” Together we say, “Amen!” and bid our goodbyes. It was a sweet encounter of kindness and thanksgiving. And it took place in a parking lot with kind neighbors who I don’t know.

At my very next shopping stop, as I’m paying for my things, the cashier begins to sing the childhood theme song of Barney to the gentleman bagging the items. With great delight, I look up at him, smile big, and join in to help finish the song with the cashier! Absolutely the best! That’s right, I’m in a store, singing with a stranger, while the young man, never changes his Eeyore-type expression. I laugh and comment on how great it is that he gets to work with a singing cashier. He smiles and tells me to have a great day. I smile from ear to ear, singing “we’re a happy family….” as I walk to my car blessed by the kind, fun, neighbors.

All of these neighborly experiences, in the middle of the mundane, display the power of positive people. Encouraging, helpful, uplifting, and kind people are vital to managing even the simple tasks of shopping, not to mention major life decisions or crises. Positive models, respectful words, and kind people are a gift. Our children need to be surrounded by kind neighbors. Positive influences bring hope to their future and guide them to respect others. Let’s be kind neighbors as we shop, play, work, and raise our children.

“To love God with all your heart and mind and strength is very important. So is loving your neighbor as you love yourself.”  Mark 12:33

P.S. Listen to Episode 9 of the Small Steps Podcast, as we focus on making Positive Deposits in the lives of young children. Small Steps is available on Apple & Spotify.