Frustration To Gratitude: Shopping, Thankfulness, and Me

Today’s Friday, also known as “grocery shopping day” in our household. Or, “another week, another bucket of cat litter” works, too. Either way, I picked up just my billfold and my grocery list and headed to the store. I finished my shopping (I self-checkout), went to pay, and didn’t have my debit card. I think we’ve all done this a time or two. Thought we’d had our debit card but either had taken it out to make an online purchase and didn’t quite get it back in our billfold, or had it slip out of our billfold into our purse (which is what happened to me). I could have gotten mad. I was hot, sweaty, and I really didn’t want to redo the shopping.

However, I had some cash in my billfold, almost enough to cover the purchase. So I explained the situation to the self-checkout lady, and we set three purchases aside for me to come back and get. I paid with cash, took the groceries home, grabbed my purse (yep, there was the debit card. My billfold doesn’t quite close sometimes…grr!), then went back and finished my purchases, then, took the juice I’d bought for mom over to her house.

As I said, I could have gotten angry. It was hot; I was thinking I’d be home in an hour and could get back to work. But you know what, I didn’t get angry.

I told the universe these things instead:

THANK YOU for making sure I hadn’t taken that cash to the bank to deposit yet.

THANK YOU for the fact that I was looking for shoes for my partner, so I only had to leave behind a couple of things.

THANK YOU for the short drive I have back home.

THANK YOU for the nice lady in the checkout aisle to help.

THANK YOU that I really don’t punch a time clock, so can take the extra time this needs.

THANK YOU that my partner realized I was home and could help me carry in the bags of groceries.

When I got home, it was, “THANK YOU for my debit card being right on top of my purse’s contents, so I could be assured that it was where I thought it was.”

When I went back to Walmart it was, “THANK YOU for the items sitting there ready for me.” and “THANK YOU for being able to check out so quickly.”

I went to mom’s house. “THANK YOU that mom had time to get some things together so I could help her.” and THANK YOU that I could buy mom an extra jug of juice.

Then I returned home to THANK YOU for making that go so smoothly and well.

And I did it all with a smile on my face. That’s how I turned what could have been a frustrating afternoon into a very powerful lesson of gratitude and thankfulness.

THANK YOU universe for this lovely reminder.

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