February 28

I went to the post office this morning to mail a package. As I stood in line, I watched a woman as she tried to ready her own package. She wasn't sure how to assemble the box she'd chosen, so the woman in front of me stepped out of line to try to help her fold the edges. Then, she wasn't sure how to pack her very small item in her very large box, so I suggested she pull discarded newspaper from the recycling bin below the counter (as long as it wasn't wet!). So she did. The woman in front of me showed her how to crumple it in order to create shock absorbers, and I stepped over to help.

As we worked, an older woman in line behind us mused that it was the most beautiful thing she’d seen all week, and I had to agree. The spirit of cooperation that took over across a group of women representing several different cultures was just an amazing thing. And I was really proud to be part of it. No, not proud, because that word suggests that I had some hand in orchestrating the interaction when in reality, I didn’t. So I'll say blessed instead. Just blessed. And for that, I'm thankful.