She dropped the last gallon of milk into her cart and reached eagerly for the receipt. Her reward points were totaled at the bottom. “982?” She was disappointed. “I was hoping to get to 1000 points this month.” She looked at her full cart, trying to figure out where she’d gone wrong. “I bought everything I needed. I guess I didn’t quite make it.” Her shoulders slumped.
The elderly woman behind her in line looked at the cashier. “She needs – what – 18 points? Can you credit my purchases for her points?” The cashier nodded. “Let’s do it.” She turned to the young woman. “Swipe your card.” The older woman was only picking up a couple of items, and the young woman was still two points short.
“Well, thanks,” she said. “I appreciate the thought.”
The woman turned to the people in line behind her. “Can you help her out? She just needs a couple of points to make it to 1000.” The couple shrugged and dropped two jars of spaghetti sauce onto the belt. The clerk scanned them, and the goal was reached.
A small victory, granted. But lots of small victories will get us through the day, the week, the pandemic. Make them happen.
(I wrote this in 2021 and posted to FB. Saving it here for future reference.)