It’s been a hard day. It’s been a hard week. Someone very dear in our family passed away suddenly, and the emotions evoked during the many hours on the phone with family and friends are exhausting.

The weird thing is how life is moving along, and I still need to take care of the kids, make dinner, do errands and function in a world that has no idea of my loss.

Or do they?

At the drugstore, the cashier ringing up the lady next to me makes a point of saying Hello to me, and asking how I’m doing. Same guy who jokes with me when I bring my daughter in for nail polish and she takes forever choosing a color and then I come back the next day to swap it for a different one.

At the supermarket, Lisa (who I’ve known for years) says I don’t usually see you in here this late. Then she looks closely at my face as she starts scanning my oats and raisins and says You okay? I’m not really, but that’s okay, I respond. I know she cares, but if I start talking about how I really feel it’ll be all over, and for heaven’s sake this is the express lane.

So I leave without spilling my heart, but even so, I feel her concern and that’s something. I step out into the fresh air of the parking lot, get into my car, and take a few deep breaths.

A really hard day was just made a teeny bit softer with the humanity shown by a few cashiers.

Life will go on, and we’ll all be okay.