Friendship Shopping

So what was your first thought when you read the title of this blog entry? "Oh, poor gal, she's looking for a friend." Or maybe, "Is she fed up with her current friends and ready to search for new ones?" Or even, "Man, she's got nerve to announce that she's shopping for friends!" Quite the opposite, actually.

Last Friday, I had to stop on my way home from work and purchase office supplies for my company at Sam's Warehouse. I needed to go two weeks ago, and I had managed to put it off. You see, I really dislike shopping, even when I'm spending someone else's money (as is the case when I purchase items for work). I seriously would order everything online that I need if I could and have it delivered to my front door. So, stopping on a Friday evening and shopping with the other thousands of people who were present is a true testament to my willingness to go the extra mile for my job.

As I was wandering up and down the aisles trying to find the things I needed to purchase, I became more and more frustrated with each passing minute. Too many people, too many items I couldn't find, too many reasons to run for home. And then, in an instant, everything changed. As I stood gazing at the aluminum foil, a sweet Southern accent filled the air. A voice that made me feel at home, comfortable and loved. I turned my head and saw my former neighbors, Cindy and Perry, and as always happens when I see them, my heart filled with warmth and happiness. They are Kansas City transplants like me, being born and raised in Arkansas.

I truly believe that Cindy and Perry are two of the finest people to walk this earth, and I've always considered myself immensely blessed that God placed them in my life. They stood behind me through my long and difficult divorce, and they were there for my children and me in the years that followed. They helped me in ways that I'm sure they aren't even aware of, from Perry teaching Matt to shave to Cindy watching my children so that I could get out of the house for a much-needed break. As my Daddy used to say, "They are just good people, salt of the earth, they are."

Calling out, "Hey!" as all true Southerners know is the only real form of acceptable greeting, we hugged and began to talk. As we stood and chatted about Perry's recent retirement, our children, their grandchildren, my book, gardening, work and all sorts of other things, I found myself happy and thankful for this divine appointment right in the middle of Sam's. My recent fuming and fussing about shopping and how much I disliked the experience turned into a time of laughter and love and friendship.

I hope I learned a lesson last Friday ... that joy in life can come in the most unexpected places if I'm willing to look for it. It doesn't have to be some spectacular event or production that imparts that joy; it can be a chance encounter in front of the aluminum foil at Sam's. It really can.