Cookies and Conversation

I was standing in the local grocery store the other day staring at cookies. I wasn’t sure if a box was going to accidentally fall into my shopping basket or not, but I was really hopeful. There were so many to choose from. My favorite, short bread cookies, seemed particularly eager to find their way into my basket. Sadly they did not.

As I stood there another shopper wandered up to the same section of cookies I was looking at, and I remarked about my desire to have a box mysteriously fall into my basket. They laughed behind their face mask. I further commented how bad these cookies were for us but how much I really wanted, like, a lot of them. I hadn’t noticed what was behind me, but they quickly pointed out that in addition to the cookies in front of me there was a wide assortment of chips right behind me. I quickly noted that if I didn’t see them they weren’t actually real. More laughter from both of us.

What struck me was the simple kindness of a conversation.

It was one of those things we used to do a lot of prior to the pandemic, before face masks, social distancing and the anxiety of having someone come too close to us or breathe on us.

Although it is a common act, that of conversation of course, it’s behavior these days that seems particularly kind and nice. I know that it made me happy and I felt much better about my day. It’s the kind of thing that helps build happiness and well-being. Simple behaviors that are kind, human, and that connect us to each other.

How we treat each other really matters. Simple actions, simple behaviors, simple ways of letting someone else know that they matter. Small touches of humanity. Gestures of caring. Brief conversations indicate I see you, I recognize you. It’s how we treat each other that makes a difference in how we all feel about ourselves and the way our lives go.

Eric