Hubby and I took the car down first thing this morning to drop it off at the auto shop.
On my way back, I swung by and dropped hubby off at work. Then I popped into Safeway to pick up a few items for the epic Thanksgiving dinner I’m going to prepare!
It was 7am and the store was deserted … except for a few stockers here and there.
I was over in the produce section picking out a couple of sweet potatoes and a nice piece of ginger, when the older Chinese gentleman stocking the lettuce section straightened up and asked me in very deliberate English: “Can I help you?!”
I responded: “Kale.”
To which he replied, once again, in very deliberate English: “Can I help you?!”
To which I responded: “Kale.”
In a broad sweeping gesture of the lettuce and produce section he very deliberately said once again: “Can I help you?!?”
This time I spelled it out: “K . A . L . E.”
He stood there the briefest of moments putting the letters together in his head … then “Ahh-ha!!” … the lightbulb went off in his head! “Kale!” “Ahh … yes!!”
He directed me to the kale, which was right close to where he was standing. He was so pleased to be able to help me!!
He let me know very enthusiastically that he was practicing speaking English! He was delighted to have had a chance to practice speaking in English! … with someone who speaks English!
I moseyed on through the store, then eventually made it home. I couldn’t help but be delighted as well that I had had the chance to help this nice man practice speaking English! I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
What a gift it is to be able to communicate with each other!! I don’t ever think about it, to be quite honest.
It was a huge gift to this nice man this morning to be able to actually understand and respond. He was so thrilled to be able to communicate with me!
On Sunday afternoon I was outside working in the yard when I heard a very loud raucous commotion of geese flying south! Without even seeing them, I could tell it was a huge number of geese! I must have heard them from many miles away! … as they all crossed the Valley to the east.
They got closer and closer! Squawking and honking … and communicating with each other!
Then, after what seemed like forever, they finally flew over. It was a massive super-flock of Canadian geese! I have never seen that many geese, all flying south together! Hundreds of birds! All spread out across the sky in many multiple different V-formations … which kept regularly shifting and changing by the second.
Squawking! Honking! Calling out!
Shifting and moving!
All flying together in one cohesive orchestrated whole!
I stood there for the longest time gawking in awe!!
It finally dawned on me that I should probably get out my phone and take a photo. These two photos are of the very last tail-end of the entourage. About triple this had already flown past.
What made the biggest impression on me was not necessarily the massive size of the group … but rather the massive amount of noise they were making as they were all communicating together on their journey.
God has given them the ability to communicate together.
That’s amazing!!
And they were certainly using that ability in a most raucous manner!
I don’t think very much to be grateful for the gift of being able to communicate. But being able to communicate is a huge gift!
From the produce stocker at the grocery store, practicing speaking English … to the massive super-flock of Canadian geese all flying south together … to my own ability to express love and care for my precious family … thank you God for the amazing, beautiful gift of being able to communicate together!!
