Every once in a while you meet a person that impacts your life in one way or another.
Larry is my person.
Honestly I know very little about Larry. I know he is older than I am. I know that he is a hard worker. I know that he is kind. I know that he has some form of mental handicap. And I know that he shows up in the most random of places.
I first met Larry when my oldest daughter, who is now 13, was a toddler. He was the sacker at my local grocery store. I only know his name because it was on his name tag. He tries to communicate, but I can't understand him. But I always addressed him by name. He is just as important in this universe as I am. But everytime he saw us, he would smile so big and wave. And Ashleigh just loved him. It helped that he bought her a piece of candy just about every single time as well. (But she has always seemed to have that affect on guys - but that is another post.)
For several years, Larry sacked my groceries and carried them to the car. I remember one time that my husband had dropped me off at the door and stayed in the car with the kids. Even though Ashleigh wasn't with me, Larry bought her a piece of candy and carried my groceries out while I was still paying. My husband was so confused as to why this strange man was trying to put groceries in our car.
The grocery store went through some ownership changes and Larry left.
A few years later, I saw Larry again. This time working in a fast food restaurant. His face lit up when he saw us. He pointed to Ash and motioned about how much she had grown. She had grown up. She was now 10 or 11. I saw him off and on there for a few months. I did notice the last time I was in there he was gone.
I was surprised to walk into church one Sunday and see him there. Afterwards he came and found me to say hi. Remember, I can't understand him when talks. So when I asked him where we was working and what he was doing, he took my by the hand and led me over to his friend that brought him to our church. I feel bad that he can't talk to me so I can understand, but he always makes my heart smile when I see him. He was surprised to see me with 5 kids. He was counting them off on his fingers and laughing.
Who is your Larry? That one person that silently and unknowingly makes you a better person?
This is so beautiful, Michelle! I love that you made the time and gave Larry the space to communicate with you. That's your loving heart, there.
ReplyDeleteIn my town, we have Paul, who lived next door and came for coffee every Monday, until we moved. I'm not sure Paul's issues, precisely, but he's got a few. He now visits me every Wednesday, looking for beer bottles to take back to the store. We never have any bottles, but he's always so happy to see the Reds I tell him to try again.
My Larry is a Vietnam veteran named Kit. I met him while working at the VA hospital. His issues go all the way back to his childhood, abandonment, abuse, you name it he's been there. Vietnam only compounded his issues and mix in the untreated PTSD and you've got a mess of a guy. I don't care. I adore him. He'd come into the clinic with his scrubby beret on with his Purple Heart ribbon and his Expert Infantry Badge pinned haphazardly to it, white beard in disarray, and would complain to anyone who would listen about anything and everything under the sun. He annoyed everyone else, but I had a soft spot for him, and I would listen to his stories and gripes. Sometimes when he'd come in and was angry about something, the other girls would come and get me because I was the only one who could settle him down. He began to trust me, and soon he stopped coming in to complain and started to come in just to say hi. He showed up one day to ask me a question. His face was so serious, and then he took off his beret and asked me if it looked like he was growing more hair! I laughed so hard I cried. Now that I've moved, Kit still stops by the clinic once or twice a week to ask the other girls how I'm doing. They tell him things are great, and he smiles and leaves. Kit has virtually no one left in this world, as his illness has driven away any remaining relatives, but there's something about him that I find so sweet. I left my address with the office girls and asked them to pass it on to him. He deserves to have someone care about him, and I hope that person can be me.
ReplyDeleteLauren McAdam