You're Here for a Reason

I follow an amazing woman, One Fit Widow, and she frequently ends her posts with 'You're still here for a reason'. I love that she does that as I have ran into so many that don't see their purpose as they work to survive their own grief journey.

I have these seven flower boxes that go up the stairs to my front door. Every year, we plant loads of plants and Reid would go through and adjust the drip system to do the watering for me. I am a heat wimp so I don't want to be on that hot side of the house ever. Today, I was at the local gardening store to pick up those loads of plants and I wanted a gardening hat since that might make the heat more tolerable. I had my cart full of plants and stopped at the hat rack to see what shelter I might find. I picked up two completely different hats and envisioned myself under each one. An elderly woman approached with her walker and was so interested in my hats. She appeared to have had a stroke or something at some point so communicated with expression and gestures and very few words. She pointed to the hat and said "you". I said "You think I should get a hat? Which one?". She smiled, and pointed to the one she preferred. I said "Ok, decision made. I am getting this hat. Thank you so much". I don't think she stopped smiling. Her sweet, equally elderly, husband and his cane approached and said "You just made her whole day".

I was out there in my hat and planting when my 16 year old came out to help. First she said, "I like your hat. I want one." and that made me smile. I arranged the plants in the boxes, and she planted them while I worked on other flowers.  When they were all planted, we turned on the drip system. I showed her how to adjust each one just right and I will follow behind and repair any- which she also learned. Of course, I miss my planting partner terribly but enjoyed this time with her completely- under the shade of my new hat.

There is not a single reason why you are here. There are so many little things that make up your purpose. Today, I didn't save a life, help anybody give birth, stop a horrible accident...nothing heroic. Today,  I was put in that place to make an old woman happy. It mattered.

.....and it made my whole day.