And yet, that’s often how meaningful moments begin—not with anticipation, but with ordinariness.
A Small Encounter
It happened in a place most people wouldn’t think twice about—a grocery store.
The aisles were busy but not crowded. People moved with purpose, scanning shelves, checking lists, comparing prices. It was the kind of environment where interactions are brief and mostly transactional.
Near the checkout line, there was a woman struggling.
She wasn’t causing a scene. In fact, she was trying very hard not to. Her movements were careful, her voice low, but there was a visible tension in her posture. She counted coins slowly, pausing as if hoping the numbers might somehow change.
The total on the screen didn’t match what she had.
