I push my shopping cart down the bread aisle. A young mom with a crying baby smiles and shrugs as she bounces the baby on her hip, shushing softly.
On the dairy aisle a woman in a pant suit talks about percentages on her phone as she chooses a yogurt. She looks over at me and nods with a smile.
I turn onto the cereal aisle where two college students discuss which cereals to purchase.
“Yes, but marshmallows!” The one with pink hair and a nose ring says.
“I hear you, but chocolate!” The one with neck tattoos and a faux hawk says.
I smile and say, “Excuse me,” as I reach for the Rice Krispies.
“Oh. Sorry,” The one with pink hair says as she steps back.
“You’re fine,” I respond. They both smile.
On the juice aisle, an elderly woman is trying to decide which juice to purchase. She smiles at me.
“My great-grandkids are coming. There are too many to pick from!” She settles on Juicy Juice apple and grape. She smiles at me once more before pushing her cart away.
We coexist daily. Women of all walks, cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. We have different styles, different interests, and different lives. We smile at each other on grocery store aisles then return to our homes.
We create, we feel, we nurture, we work, we worry, we fight for what we believe in, and we often suffer in silence.
We are all different and those differences are what make the world such a magnificent place. We all bring something to the collective table.
And it’s beautiful.
