Once upon a time in the faraway land of Kansas, there lived a kindhearted, short-statured, gray-haired woman named Terrie. Her place of abode was a small house perched a short distance from a large and bustling city ... a small but quite adequate house which she shared with her canine companions Julie and Oliver. It was often said of Terrie that the thing she loved most was giving, to those whom she loved and to many a stranger as well. Though her desire to give was plentiful and abundant, her desire to complete the task of visiting one merchant and then another in search of the gifts she would give was indeed greatly lacking save for one very special time in December each year. Ah, yes ... Christmas was the only time each year that the kindhearted, short-statured, gray-haired woman named Terrie did not mind the shops or the shoppers; in fact, she rather enjoyed the electricity that emanated from both the places selling their wares and the people within said places who clamored to purchase them. And because the season of Christmas is upon us, she ventured out from her small but quite adequate house perched a short distance from the large and bustling city to ... dare I say it? Today, the kindhearted, short-statured, gray-haired woman named Terrie left her abode to ... she ventured out from her small but quite adequate house to ... she left her house to ... to ... to shop.
With list in hand, sufficient clothing to protect her from the icy wind and cap atop her head, she climbed into her car and began her quest. Her stride was quick as she strode from the far side of the parking lot to the door of the first store, the cold air stinging her face and hands as she walked. The kindhearted, short-statured, gray-haired woman named Terrie had never entered the shop before, and the magnitude of the wares contained within its walls caused her heart to pound and her head to spin. Glancing back at the door she had just entered with thoughts of escape engulfing her mind, Terrie was startled by a voice ... a kind and gentle voice uttering the words, "Can I help you find anything, maam?" Shaking her head as she politely declined the young man's offer, she began to make her way through the store in search of the item that topped her list. Perhaps it was the furrow in her brow or the oversized shirt that hung loosely from her shoulders or the black and white shoes on her feet, but she was approached by many other kind and gentle voices offering to help her find the object she sought. Terrie smiled as she paid for the item ... she smiled as she left the large shop ... she smiled as she made her way to her next destination.
The walk from her car to the door of the small shop was short, so short that the icy wind had no time to pierce her face or surround her gloveless hands. The kindhearted, short-statured, gray-haired woman named Terrie had never entered the small shop before, and she was surprised by the amount of wares the small space held inside. Once again, her fear of the quest known as shopping swept through Terrie's heart as she fought to remember why she had entered the shop. It was as she fumbled through her pockets in search of her list that she first noticed the chill in the air, and she shivered as the icy stares of the workers in the shop followed her as she moved. She looked at the other shoppers who strolled casually through the shop and saw that they were well-dressed, adorned with sparkling gems and obviously well-versed in the art of shopping. The kindhearted, short-statured, gray-haired woman named Terrie felt her heart begin to pound as her head started spinning. She looked back and forth from the door she had entered to the item she had come to purchase, trying to decide whether to flee or to stay and attempt to accomplish her mission. She noticed the workers in the shop moving from person to person asking in kind and gentle voices if they needed assistance. Perhaps it was the furrow in her brow or the oversized shirt that hung loosely from her shoulders or the black and white shoes on her feet, but no one approached Terrie to ask if she needed help ... not one person. Terrie fought back the tears as she paid for the item ... she fought back the tears as she left the small shop ... she stopped fighting and let the tears flow as she made her way back to her small but quite adequate house perched a short distance from the large and bustling city .
All great once upon a time stories have a moral ... a lesson ... a truth within them. Here's the moral, the lesson and the truth of this story ... treat everyone with kindness and gentleness and respect ... everyone. Everyone. Everyone. Everyone. From well-dressed, diamond-laden, sophisticated shoppers to kindhearted, short-statured, gray-haired women with furrowed brows wearing oversized hoodies and black and white Converse shoes. Treat everyone with kindness and gentleness and respect. Everyone. Everyone. Everyone.
The End.
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