Sitting on a park bench, cross-legged, hugging my cup of coffee, with my journal on one side and book on the other, not touching either – instead, just staring off into space, as I often do. I’m approached by an older gentleman in his late sixties to early seventies. He had a sweet demeanor, tired eyes, weathered face, and soft smile. His voice and knit sweater made me think of Mr. Roger’s, and I secretly wanted to sing, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…”
We had a brief exchange about the weather, then coffee; we both agreed that it’s hard to find the perfect cup. Within minutes, the conversation turned to his late wife. She had red hair and green eyes, just as I do. Although they never had children, he’s quite certain I would resemble their daughter, if they had. Even though he didn’t admit it, I could tell that it was a regret of his.
He spotted me from across the park, and said that for a moment, it was almost as if he was watching her. It provided him with a sense of comfort that he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. On one hand, I was happy to have unintentionally given him that gift, but at the same time, it instilled a sense of sadness.
As he got up to leave, he leaned in, placed his hand on my back and said, “If there’s one thing I can leave you with, it’s that this – what you’re feeling – it won’t last forever. It might get worse for a while. In my experience it usually does, but life goes on, and so will you. You’ll be okay, my dear, you’ll be okay…” I sat there, slightly perplexed, as I hadn’t shared anything about myself, beyond the surface. I wanted to ask him why he felt compelled to share that with me, but for some reason, is all I could say was, “Take care.”
I’m not sure why, but these types of encounters are quite common for me. Complete strangers often go out of their way to give unsolicited advice, a kind word, or thought pressed upon them. I’m not sure what it means, if anything at all. Is there some sort of emotional weight latched to my back that others can see and I can’t? Perhaps I just need to smile more? Your guess is as good as mine…
