Today our family launched out on a “divide and conquer” shopping trip. My husband and I each took two kids and entered into the hustle and bustle of grocery and gift shopping for the big day.

I took my big girls and did the grocery shopping. The store was crowded and as I pushed my cart into the checkout line, I got a text from my husband indicating that we needed to get out pronto – it was a “parent code red alert” – the baby was tired and hungry.

As I hurriedly shoved all our Christmas goodies onto the counter, our cashier began to ask me some questions as the girls fought over who was going to swipe the cards and sign my name. She said, “How old are they? Are these your only kids or do you have more?” We laughed and I told her I had two more. She told me that she had five.

Then she paused.

She said, “I have one more – a little boy who died of leukemia when he was four. His birthday is December 23rd. He would have been 16 this year.” Her eyes filled with tears a bit as she looked back down at the groceries.

For just a moment, time froze. I forgot about the groceries on the counter and the baby crying in the car. I looked at this lovely woman and saw deep pain from a wound that gets ripped open further every year right at Christmas time.

I realized that I had approximately two minutes left with this woman. I said that I was so, so sorry for her loss. I looked at her name tag and told her that today the girls and I would say a special prayer for her. She smiled and said thank you and we pushed our cart away.

My eldest daughter said, “Mom, what is leukemia?” I explained the disease to her and we said a prayer for her together, asking God to comfort her and heal her heart during this week.

No Mere Mortals

We all have problems. Life is complicated and messy and often it is all we can do to stay afloat ourselves.

But when we see that the folks in our own life boat are doing alright and take a look outside, we may likely see some folks drowning in the water right outside our boat.

It’s easy to push past people in a crowd without looking at their faces.

It’s easy to become irritated when they cut us off in traffic or rub us the wrong way.

But let’s not forget that everyone around us is a unique person with a unique story to tell – and that every interaction we have with every person has the capacity to encourage or discourage them in some way.

C.S. Lewis said it best in his book, ‘The Weight of Glory’:

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare.

All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations.

It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.

There are no ordinary people.

You have never talked to a mere mortal…

But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors…

Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.”

As we go about our business these last few days before Christmas, let’s stay alert to our neighbors.

Look up to see their eyes. This season can hold a lot of pain for many people.

Grasp their hand a little tighter when you say hello. Say a prayer for those who have lost loved ones this year.

And thank God for every person who encouraged your heart this year.