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A Dollar Tree Tale

We've all experienced a run in with a stranger that sticks in your memory. Maybe you had a stranger at the grocery store let you cut in front of them because you only had a few items. Perhaps you pushed an old lady’s cart back to the return just to be nice. Either way, these things happen. Some we forget, some we don’t. This stranger encounter is one that I hope I don’t forget any time soon.


I was at the Dollar Tree, looking to buy a few last minute items for my son‘a birthday party.


Isn't that a start to a great story? So I was at the Dollar Tree...


I was given a list my my wife that included: balloons, small toys for a goodie bag for attending kids, and a bag in which to place the goodies. Like a good husband, I got all those things, placed them in my basket, and headed to the register.


The register line was long. There were probably five people ahead of me waiting to purchase their items. Directly in front of me was an older lady, I'd say early sixties, with a basket full of trinkets. In front of her was an elderly couple. If I had to guess an age, I'd say somewhere between seventy and eighty years of age. In all honesty, both were closer to their eighties.


The elderly man and woman were standing side by side. In his right hand he had their basket and in his left he held his wife's hand. Both were standing still, looking directly ahead, holding hands for all to see. I noticed it and the lady in front of me did as well.



Just then, the woman in front of me made a comment to the couple. I don't recall what she said exactly; however, she commented on how precious they looked, still holding hands at their age. The old man, turned and smiled. It was a big smile. I imagine that same smile was sported by him on the day of is wedding. He seemed to be truly happy to still be holding the hand of his love. He replied back the lady that he and his wife had been married for sixty years!


It was then that he let go of his wife's hand, walked to the lady that had spoken to him, and leaned in close. He told her that his wife had dementia, that's why she didn't respond to her.


My heart swole. I was struck by how in love these two seemed to be. They didn't care that they were advanced in years, or that they were out in public, or that she had dementia! What mattered to them is that they were alive, in love, and together. As they paid for their items and were walking out the door, he turned back to the lady, smiled again and held his wife's hand all the way to their car. Then he helped her to her seat, buckled her up, and drove away.


When I got home from my visit to the Dollar Tree, I told my wife what I had witnessed earlier in the day. She teared up and felt the same emotion I had felt when I saw that couple in the store. My wife was also watching The Notebook on Netflix. That may have had something to do with the emotion; however, this was a real story! It carried more meaning than some fictional romantic tale. These two people were real. This couple had shared their marriage for sixty long, hopefully wonderful, years.


I did more that just watch a movie about a love story that day...I saw one in person. I saw a love that I hope share with my wife one day. While I hope neither of us get dementia, I do hope that we can be standing in a dollar store one day, both of us past elderly, holding hands in love like the day we were married.


If you love someone, hold their hand in public. When someone asks about it, because they most likely will, brag to them. Flaunt your love. Tell them your story, about your years together, and be happy about it.


There are a lot of people in this world that would give anything to have the kind of love I saw on my trip to the Dollar Tree. I'm so thankful that I have that type of love for the woman in my life and I hope we can share that for sixty more years, Lord willing.


My Wife & I Somewhere Pretty

Thanks for reading!

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!



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