Power of Strangers

Kate and I made a trip to Walgreens. While looking for some junk food to fatten Scott up Kate notices some Sleeping Beauty playdoh.
She being a typical toddler admires it and wants to bring it home. I being the mean mommy tell her not today. In non-typical toddler form she says "Ok Mommy maybe next time we get Princess Aurora" and with that we put Sleeping Beauty back on the shelf.

An older gentleman strikes up a conversation with me. He asks me how old Kate is, talks about how cute she is. Kate is of course happy to tell him how she's " 'most fee" and "thank you I a princess".

Turns out he has 3 grandkids that live out of state, he doesn't see them often. One of them is just about Kate's age. His wife passed last year and he's never bought Easter basket stuff before. So, we chat about what might be good to put in baskets for each kid. He's a very sweet old guy just trying to get by.

We part ways as Kate and I head over to pick up some gauze.

Kate and I end up standing behind the gentlemen at the photo counter. We chat again for another minute while he's making his purchases. As he turns to leave he reaches in his bag pulls out the Sleeping Beauty playdoh, he was getting it for the youngest granddaughter.
He asks me if Kate can have it. How can I say no?
Handing Kate the playdoh he tells her she's a very smart little girl. He tells her to be a good girl. Looking up at me he tells me I'm a wonderful mother, and that I remind him of his wife. As I shake his hand and tell him thank you I notice the tears in his eyes. I wish him a Happy Easter. He tells me it won't be the same without her but he's just thankful to have his family coming to visit.

The very simple words from that complete stranger fill my heart tonight. I wish he could be as lucky as I am. I wish his wife could be with him, just like my husband is with me.
Or maybe I should want to be as lucky as he is. He had 49 years with his wife.

Or just maybe we're both lucky, in our own ways.