You know that old trees just grow stronger and old rivers grow wilder every day. Old people just grow lonesome waiting for someone to say, “Hello in there, hello.” – John Prime, American singer-songwriter (1946-2020)

There’s a store in town where I do a bit of shopping. A large part of the store sells women’s clothing and shoes. It makes me smile as I enter seeing men either leaning against a wall or sitting in the shoe department while “waiting on a woman.”

One day as I went to the checkout desk the lady that always waits on me wasn’t there. I continued to shop and purchase my items where two new young ladies were checking out customers. Afterwards I continued to think about the regular lady. Had she retired? Was she ill?

The next time I asked about “my friend” I’ll call her Barbara, I was told she had an accident and would not be back to work for several weeks.  Sometime later I returned to the store. There she was. I told her how I missed her and didn’t know what had happened. She smiled and quietly said, “It was nice to hear someone missed me.” She was wearing a walking boot on her leg and still checking and bagging for customers. I know nothing about her family or friends, but I wanted her to know I missed her and that she mattered.

Author Mitch Albom wrote “Eddie is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in a meaningless life of fixing ride at a seaside amusement park. As the park had changed over the years…as has Eddie changing, from optimistic youth to embittered old age. His days are a dull routine of work, loneliness, and regret. Then on his 83 birthday, Eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his–and then nothing.

A simple smile, a helping hand or an empathetic ear cost nothing but can have a massive, uplighting impact on someone’s day. It is one of the easiest, most rewarding choices we can make.

Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].