Dear....

To the kindred spirit who saved my awkward a** on that perilous day at the gas station…

I know you must think about the idiot that drove off without checking if she replaced the pump, and the fact that she still didn’t notice when the hose fully disconnected and flung itself at her brand-new crossover. I know you had no true reason to come running after me as you were simply a civilian yourself. Thank you for chasing me to the end of the street before I caused more of a wreck. Thank you for enveloping me in laughter instead of tears, and most of all thank you for making me feel just a little less blonde by the end of it all.

To the cashier at the Mobile on Wendy Dr…

Thank you for your smiles and your cheery personality, thank you for your jokes on a bad day. I haven’t had much interaction with you, but it has been enough to make me appreciate even the lowest of lows. Somewhere along the line, I learned that you walk to work every single day. My respect for you grew in realizing your persistence for a better life in addition to the enthusiasm you have for others in theirs. It is not often that you happen upon a human being with such a lack of jealousy. I watch people enter your station before and after me from time to time. And let me say this, not all of them are kind. Yet, your joy never falters for it truly comes from within. I aspire to hold as much tolerance and effervescence as your soul must contain.

To the Wholesome Man and His Labrador Retriever…

I have passed the two of you at least ten times over the last few months, and each and every time my heart warms up just a wee bit more. The dynamic that you two have radiates a bond so intense, I would speculate that not even death could “do you apart”. The demeanor in which you two meander the rim of the golf course in search of those pearly white balls projects enough adventure to last a lifetime. Although you are both in your older years, the child like joy when your dog points out a ball and you go to grab it is enough to keep the whole world young. Never stop hunting. Never stop loving.

To The Liquor Store Owner Up The Street…

Although I am not fond of the fact that your Dippin Dots (amongst many other things) seem to change prices by the day, I thank you for keeping tabs on my father for me. You never fail to check in, update, and ask me how I am. You never fail to admit when my father is off the wagon again. More so than not, you make me chuckle when I need it most.

Some people come and go like the wind. Others leave an impact on you so vast, it makes your heart lurch forward at the remembrance of them. I hope these memories (written in the form of letters to the strangers) bring you laughter at my stupidity and your own form of sacred gratitude towards the folks who have benefited you in times of need.

PS Yes, I truly did forget all brain cells and drive off without bothering to disconnect my car from a gas pump once. My taillight is still yet to be polished up. I have almost grown fond of the humor it brings into my everyday life.