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‘Today, I went out for the usual grocery shopping to Walmart, this time taking t…

‘Today, I went out for the usual grocery shopping to Walmart, this time taking the twins with me.’ As I was standing in the cereal aisle, an old lady came near me and I had to sigh because I knew the dreadful ‘twin questions’ were going to come the way of her mouth this very minute. Whenever I am in public I always add another 20 min into my schedule for just responding to the hundreds of queries regarding twins and frankly, it has become boring.

She came a bit closer to my shopping cart and stood still. ‘Not again’ I thought.

She posed all those conventional questions and reminded how adorable they were and started gushing with the children, boys to be specific. And I was impatient, and simply sick of it and to go out. I turned my head to the side to look down the aisle in hopes that it would resolve the problem and she would get the hint that it was time to go home, and as I did she placed her small hand over mine that was lying on the cart.

‘Anyway, I know you probably hate this and I am so sorry to take this much of your time doing it. Well, you see, I lost my only grandson last year and this is one of the very few situations that I come across children his age – when I go for grocery shopping’ – she stated.

For some queer reason, people became oblivious to the concept of time. She said, We are just about to see fishes, do you want to come and watch them with us for a little while?’ Her eyes lit up – I would love that.’

After taking the boys from there, we walked over and I got the boys out. For about 15 minutes, she stood there helping them jump, while they chanted ‘FISHY FISHY FISHY’ and then loudly shouting, ‘It’s FISHY time.’ Then finally she turned and looked me in the eye and said, `You have no idea what I would give to hear my grandchild laugh one more time.’

I had no words and so I just stood there in silence and mourned for her. ‘Can I have a hug from your boys?’ … I nodded.

‘Thank you very much for sparing with me your time, I am aware that your hands are overflowing with work’, she told him. She squatted to embrace Darrio, who was a not so nice twin, and Darrio stretched out his hands and said ‘LUH YOU’!! ❤️

She cuddled Dheigo and then myself.

Too Much What is your argument? My argument is about how fast my opinion about her transformed as soon as I regarded her for someone more than a Kate. How would you feel about that woman who seems to take forever in the drop-off line in the morning – doing it because what if the kid has to go to his dad for the weekend and does not get another hug for three long days?

How annoying it can be that man who is driving slow when you are so much in a hurry to get to work. What if he is going so slow because he knows he is goig to be layed off and has worries about his life after that?

How about that irritating little kid from down the block who seems to get pleasure in banging your door every now and then – what if he is a needy child who is attention deprived and simply needs a friend at home?

Such thoughts lead me to wonder: how much compassion will be shown by each and everyone of us if we are fully aware of other people’s burdens?”

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