It’s our weekly ritual: After I pick the kids up Friday afternoon from their “one-day-a-week program for home schoolers,” we go to Panera and each get a bagel.
We are not coffee, tea, juice, soda or milk drinkers, so we usually just bring in our water bottles. But this time we forgot., and my disdain for unnecessary plastic kept us from getting any cups of water.
So there we were, my kids flanking me, contentedly eating our Asiago toasted bagels with butter.
About three-quarters of the way through, an older woman came over to our table. Standing across from me, she leaned toward us and exclaimed, “Oh, I bet those rolls are so good!”
I remained calm and matched her cheerfulness as I said, with a somewhat filled mouth, “They are bagels.”
“Oh, I bet those bagels are so good!” she replied. “I bet a warm drink with them would taste so good!”
Still calm, but guarded, I mustered something like, “Um, no….thank you.”
She then said, “Oh yes,” firmly placed a folded $10 bill in the middle of the table, and walked out without looking back.
I attempted to utter a sound, though I had no idea what I’d say. It didn’t matter, anyway, because she was already out the door.
I looked back at the $10, I looked at my daughter, I looked at my son. They were as bewildered as I was. I looked around at the people at the other tables. Did anyone see what just happened? Did anyone have any insight?
Should I run out and give this woman her money? If it were a hundred dollars, yes, but was a $10 bill worth the awkwardness? The effort? The…whatever?
We looked out the window and saw her get into a White Escalade that her male companion had pulled up.
I then realized that they were the older couple who had been sitting next to us, having finished a full meal and reading the newspaper. I hadn’t paid them much attention. Were they watching us during our snack?
Why did she…oh no. Does she think?…I looked at the three of us. I tried to view myself as someone who didn’t know me.
Just three bagels. Does that seem pathetic?
I looked at my son. It was freezing outside, and all he was wearing was a couple of sweatshirts. But my daughter had her good winter coat , and I had mine, I reasoned.
I had showered only a couple hours earlier, so my hair (I thought) looked good, and I was wearing makeup. Did we look…needy?
The three of us sat there, frozen. And then I burst out in laughter.
It was one of the oddest things that has ever happened to me. I was not at all offended, and really, I don’t know this lady’s motive. Regardless, it was a sweet gesture.
It’s been a little over 24 hours since that vignette. The conversations, the observations, the quips and the reactions that have come out of it—from my kids, my husband, family, friends, acquaintances—have brought more laughter as well as reflection.
So, thank you, Sweet Grandma Lady In The White Escalade. Thank you for the gift that goes well beyond that folded $10 bill.