By John Barbour in Las Vegas
5-25-24

While I was waiting by the cashier after paying, a rather attractive rather short woman with a very long ugly tattoo on her whole right arm, but accompanied by two beautifully behaved beautiful children a boy and a girl around 12 or 13 just walked over to me and said, 'Hello, how are you today?'

I was so surprised, I said I'm not quite sure!'

She smiled a beautiful smile, saying, 'Maybe I read your mind, and maybe you need somebody to talk to!'

I smiled..' No I do not need anyone to talk to. But, if you had read my mind, you:d know I was thinking how could a beautiful young woman have such beautiful children and such an ugly tattoo!'

She laughed, a very musical laugh. ' I have another beautiful 11 year old at home, and the tattoo was a weak moment during covid!'
I said, was the 11-year-old another weak moment during covid?'

Her lovely laugh was even louder. 'God, are you always this funny. And honest? I have six children all together. The other three are out and in their twenties!"

I was stunned. 'Wow, I will just be honest this time and say you barely look out of your twenties yourself!'

She said very quickly. I had these three after colon cancer. And it seems having children keeps me young while my husband is prematurely grey in his early forties. I am 52!

‘Oh, my God…Oh my God' was all I could utter until I said, 'It seems semen is a greater cancer cure than chemotherapy!’

Her infectious laughter now filled the store bringing smiles to everyone's face and all work to a halt as her children rushed over to hug her, smiling also.

She said, ‘You know why I spoke to you?'

'I'm not the mind reader,' I said. 'You are. I have no idea!’

'When I was looking at your kind face, a face I had the feeling I had seen before, God told me to say hello...because you might cheer me up a little…which, indeed, I needed. And you did. God bless you!'

The children gathered up the large to go order and took her mother by each hand.

I said, ‘Ma’am, it was my pleasure, believe me. And as Clint Eastwood said in the movie called Dirty Harry...'You made my day!'

She smiled that engaging smile. 'We can't afford to go to movies...as a matter of fact the last one I saw was ‘Superman.'

'Maybe that's another reason I spoke to you. I don't understand why a grown man would wear a Superman sweater but I must say you are, indeed, a super man. Thank you. Have a great day and a great life.’ The children even said a sweet goodbye.

It amazes me how often a total stranger has popped up and made my day...or even my life a lot better. Just amazing!!!