#the power of kindhearted strangers is immeasurable

[everyone-sacritic]

A love letter to strangers:

-To the cashier at the gas station/convenience store that I stop at a couple times a week on my way home from work; who always has the biggest smile and an infectious laugh; who shares my love of trying all kinds of new random snacks, even when we think they're going to be bad; who last year when I was having a hard time, must have seen something in my eyes that made her grab my hand after I paid and tell me with the first serious look on her face I'd ever seen to take care of myself, the winked and said she had something special coming in the next week and to make sure to come back and see her

-To the park ranger at the state park where I camp and hike a couple weekends a month; who always calls me "honey" or "sweetie" in the twangiest accent I've ever heard (and I'm from the South); who always tells me to be safe and enjoy the woods for her; whose eyes light up with the most true display of joy when I compliment her nails that she paints herself every week; who once during a freak cold snap with an unexpected inbound ice storm, stopped by my campsite in the evening with a cup of hot chocolate and an extra wool blanket, saying that she had to look after her regulars so we could save her from the tourists in the summertime

-To the owner of the Korean restaurant/cafe that I eat dinner and drink tea once a week; who lets me stay and work on my homework while I drink tea but only because she says I take my tea the same way she does, so we're "some kind of soulmates"; who argues with me about the tip that I give, but grudgingly accepts it in the end every time; who when I missed a couple weeks in a row when I was really sick, cupped my cheek when I sat down at my table and refused to give me my normal order, instead giving me a lovely soup and sending me home early with a bag of loose tea leaves and instructions on how to brew them to build back up my immunity; who sometimes when it's slow sits at my table with her back against the wall, watching the front door and humming quietly and out of tune to the kpop music in the background

I madly love all of you more than you could ever know. You provide me with the small connections to this world that keep me going.