Stranger Sees Old Man With Flowers At Kroger, Tries To Hold Back Tears When He Hears His Story

Jul 31, 2018 by apost team

Our life journeys always deliver insight to us. This man learned something about compassion today from an elderly man at Kroger.

Life is so unpredictable that we never know who we're going to meet. We never know when we're going to need to change our plans either.

A man named Gregory stopped by a grocery store to grab some things to take home with him to watch a game that he was excited about watching. He was standing in line at the deli getting ready to get his last item before he went home. He then noticed an elderly man who was on the scooter. The man had a huge bouquet of beautiful roses and a birthday cake in his basket. Gregory automatically assumed that he was going to take these things to a birthday party. He smiled at the elderly man and said, "It looks like you have a big night planned."

The entire tone of the conversation changed at that moment. Tears started to well in the elderly man's eyes, and his voice weakened as he was getting ready to cry. He was going to a party indeed, but it was a party for his wife who had passed away many years ago.

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Gregory wanted to make it to his All-Star game, but he also wanted to give this hurting man an ear of compassion because he needed one. He listened to the man's story as he told him how he met his wife, which was in high school. They served on opposite teams. She was a cheerleader for a different team, and he was a basketball player. They met each other during a game in the semifinals, and they were playing against each other. Jim, the elderly man, was taken back by her beauty and asked her if she would come root for his team the next night. She, of course, "read him the riot act" about that, but she showed up the next night to do it.

They started dating at that time, and they stayed together for 53 years afterward. Jim buys his wife flowers and a birthday cake every year and cuts them both a piece during the celebration that he has.

Gregory had to fight hard not to break out in tears at the sad story. After a while though, his spirits lifted. He and Jim engaged in conversation for what was probably an hour. The mood changed from an air of gloom to a joyous atmosphere. Just as Gregory was getting ready to leave to catch the last few minutes of that game, Jim invited him to his house to join the birthday celebration. He said yes and ended up missing the game. But the kindness he showed that old man was better than any game could have ever been.

It was a priceless act of kindness.

Tell your loved ones about this story, and remind them to be kind to others.