Dr. Laura Schlesinger (3:23)

But her hands were trembling. She was trying over and over to punch her pin into the card reader. It beeped, blinked red, and refused her again. Behind me, a man sighed loud enough for everyone in the checkout line to here. Come on, he muttered, shifting from one foot to the other like she was stealing time he would never get back.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (3:45)

The cashier, bless her heart, tried to stay patient, but you could see the tension in her shoulders, too, that mixture of sympathy and schedule that retail workers live under.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (3:57)

So I stepped forward. Let me try one more time for you, sweetheart, I said softly. Take a deep breath. Sometimes these machines have worse manners than people. That earned me a little smile. She nodded, tapped her card again, and this time it worked. When she looked up, her eyes crinkled with relief. Well, isn't that something, she said, almost to herself. Even my card's getting old and forgetful.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (4:29)

We laughed together, but the man behind me didn't. He grabbed his items, muttered something under his breath. The cashier handed over the woman's receipt. She started gathering her bags, four of them, heavy with canned goods, laundry detergent, few treats that made me think she still enjoyed the little things. A box of sugar wafers, a new dish towel printed with sunflowers. She made her way to the exit, only to stop at the row of shopping carts. Her cart had one of those long metal poles sticking up from it, the kind that stops you from taking it out of the store. She tried to angle it just right to get it through the door, and I could see the confusion and embarrassment starting to flicker across her face. I put my items down, stepped forward. Here, let me help, I said. Oh, no, she insisted quickly, her voice tight but polite. That's all right, dear. I'll manage. I shook my head. You know you've already done your managing for the day. Please let me just give you a hand. She hesitated, then looked out toward the parking lot where the sunlight was fading behind a row of cars. Then she looked back at her bags inside. Well, she said quietly, I don't want to trouble you. You might not even be parked near me Then I'll just walk a little further, I said, smiling. It'll do me good. That's when she finally let me help. As we walked out together, she introduced herself. I'm Dixie, she said. I'm 83. I stopped in after church and the grocery store. These errands wear my old body out sometimes.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (6:13)

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Dr. Laura Schlesinger (8:21)

Wood Thrush 3 o' clock Walmart has.

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Dr. Laura Schlesinger (8:31)

Oh, man.

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Dr. Laura Schlesinger (8:34)

Size 10?

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Really?

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (8:39)

Who knew?

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Dr. Laura Schlesinger (9:22)

She chuckled, but it was the kind of laugh that hides a little exhaustion underneath. Her car was parked near the back of the lot, one of those older Buicks that still had the Jesus loves you bumper sticker faded from years of sunshine. As we loaded her bags into the trunk, she just kept apologizing. I used to be faster, she said. Used to carry my groceries, my grandbabies, my whole world. Now look at me. I can't even remember my own pin number. Wanted to tell her she didn't need to be fast, that she'd already done her running, her serving, her raising. But I just smiled and said, well, you're doing just fine, Dixie. When I closed her trunk and turned to wish her a good day, she reached into her purse and asked, how much do I owe you? I laughed, thinking she was joking. You don't owe me a thing. But her expression didn't change. Her hand trembled as she pulled out her wallet. No, no, no, no, no. You helped me carry those heavy bags. I must pay you. That's when my heart cracked a little. I gently put my hands on hers. Dixie, please don't. You don't owe me anything. Not for this. Not for kindness. Her eyes softened, but the confusion remained. Well, it's just that people don't do that anymore, she whispered. And she's right. When did kindness become a transaction? When did we start living like generosity requires a receipt? As I drove home, I couldn't stop thinking about her and how instinctively she'd reached for her wallet instead of just her gratitude. Because somewhere along the way, we taught her that help must come with a price. Dixie isn't just one woman at a dollar store. She's all elderly people trying to hold on to their independence and dignity in a world that's racing past them. She's the tired man at the pharmacy trying to hear the pharmacist through his hearing aid. She's the woman in the grocery aisle reading labels too small to see while someone behind her sighs impatiently.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (11:39)

And if we're honest, we're failing them. We're failing our elderly, the people who built our towns, raised our parents, kept our neighborhoods kind. We're failing our young ones, too, who are growing up thinking eye contact is a threat.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (11:55)

And patience is optional. We have to do better. We have to choose kindness. Not when it's convenient or photogenic, but when it's slow, awkward, and unprofitable. We have to hold doors, smile first, speak gently, offer our time like it's worth more than our money, because it is. We have to remind people like Dixie that kindness still exists, that not everyone wants something in return.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (12:26)

That she can walk through this world believing she's safe and valued, not a burden. We need to spark again. Not the kind of spark that burns fast and fades, but the steady kind. The one that warms hearts and lights others to do the same. So here's my challenge to you tomorrow. Be deliberate. Go out of your way for someone. Say, you're welcome. Mean it. Ask a name. Remember it. If you see someone like Dixie, don't wait to be asked. Step forward. Offer. Show them we remember what community feels like. Because if you don't start sparking more light into this world, the shadows will keep growing. And one day, we'll all be the ones standing at the checkout trying to remember our pin number, hoping someone behinds us remembers how to care.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (13:24)

I'm getting choked up. This is so well written. Can't we do better for Dixie and for all our elderly?

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (13:33)

And thank you, Teresa, for sending that in. She copied it from someplace on Facebook.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (13:41)

Oh, my God.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger (13:47)

Pin numbers. I'm Dr. Laura Schlesinger. My number? 1-800-375-2872. If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen to my podcast. Of course. I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast with a friend on Facebook or your preferred social media platform.

Commercial Narrator 1 (14:17)

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