DIGGING THROUGH THE TOYS

       Doug informed me last night that there is a new family at the shelter. Grandma is 86, Mom looks much older than she is, Boy is 14, and Girl is 16. The staff is very sad about this family's situation, but they are being cared for: the man who made a pass at Girl was promptly thrown out. I was itching to meet them, and when the doors opened for their group's lunch, Boy was the first one to the counter.
       "You must be Bobby!" I said. Seeing Girl right behind him, I handed him a rubber ball and asked, "Would you like to have this to throw at your sister?" He grinned at his sister. Yes, he would. Everything about the child's countenance says he's a very good kid, not shy, and not rude. More than anything, I want to see that family GONE next weekend. If that's not possible, I'll settle for having the pleasure of lifting their spirits.
       Girl watched closely as I gave Boy the ball… and a pen (with a little pull-out conversions chart)… and a tablet… and a pack of gummies. His eyes grew bigger as his hands filled with loot. Then I had the pleasure of offering Girl a pretty pen and a hard-bound journal (Doug and Mr. A. told me she'd prefer those to a stuffed animal). She was delighted! Now all her hopes and dreams would have a place to go.
       After lunch, Grandma came to the counter asking for a rag to wipe the table. I so did not want that sweet old soul wiping the table. She's 86! She looks older. Her teeth are in bad shape; her hands are gnarled; her nails are discolored and misshapen, but her spirit is calm. She came again to ask if we had another pen. Girl's pen, it was discovered, didn't write, and the child had run outside crying. When a 16-year-old dissolves in tears over a dry pen, this is a pain that runs much deeper than its circumstances indicate. Doug found a pen, and all was well I suppose, but the original pen was prettier; I had saved it from a conference I attended long ago—obviously too long ago. So that was the upshot of my rummaging through the toys last night, looking for things for teenagers.
       Yesterday I prepared fresh vegetables for today's diners: broccoli, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, summer squash, black and green olives, and baby carrots. No one got a lot, but the servings were colorful. One man wanted to discuss olives with me. Here at middle age, he'd never tasted a black olive, and he was surprised, having always assumed they tasted the same as the green ones. I was proud of him for trying them! I told him of some of the things that are stuffed in olives because he wanted to know why some had holes in them and some did not. Maybe next week I'll surprise him with a collection from my store's olive bar! Red, black, green, stuffed with assorted things, and some with pits! Yes, that would be fun.