Stories from the Conveyor Belt

I made it through the crowded grocery store in record time. Yes, my trusty list had not failed me and I even found some of the more obscure items I needed like matches and toothpicks. I had exactly 16 minutes to get through the line, pay, and head to my next activity. I stood in line thinking to myself, "I hope I picked the right line... hmm they don't have too much compared to those people in the lane next to us, yes I will stay in this one." I noticed the couple in front of me loading their groceries on the conveyor belt and the swelling of the lady's abdomen that showed evidence of a new life growing within. I also noticed how they had sectioned their groceries into three separate orders and I thought to myself, "uggghhh". But by that point I was stuck cause I now had someone behind me and the other lines had grown. I settled in looking at the magazine rack AND then I noticed it... the white slip of paper on top of the two gallons of milk and the two bottles of apple juice right in front the divider that separated their order from mine, it was their WIC check. Then it hit me, a wave of sadness and thankfulness all at the same time. I was thankful that I had the money in my bank account to cover the frivolous items I had on my section of the conveyor belt. I was thankful that I live in a country where there are programs to help those who need things like milk, though I know those programs are not perfect. I was humbled by all that I have and take for granted each and everyday. So I decided to be patient and so what if I was late for what I was heading to. It didn't even bother me when they didn't get the correct percentage of milk and I had to wait an extra 3 minutes. I just smiled and was filled with a heart of thankfulness.