Walmart

Walmart. 

I found myself the other day at the Walmart that my Dad used to shop at. His routine was to arrive early in the morning so as to beat the crowd. One day I ran into him as I was turning down an aisle. It made my day to see him there, as he had lived out of state for quite a bit of my adult life. It was good to have him living close by again. 

Dad had a habit of buying the same thing pretty much each week, regardless of whether he needed it or not. At the time I thought it probably had to do with the beginning stages of dementia, but my younger siblings assured me that he had always been that way. Needless to say, you never wanted for toothpaste or Kleenex when you went to visit. 

However, the other day I found myself feeling quite sad as I walked down the aisles. It was earlier than usual for me, and I couldn't help but wish that I might turn down an aisle and run into him again. I missed that big smile and warm laugh. Dad loved to laugh. 

At the time when you are just living your life and shopping at Walmart, you don't realize that someday you will miss that experience. As time went by my brother started taking Dad grocery shopping after church. And then Dad stopped shopping all together. You know it's the little things that don't seem to really matter so much that sometimes become the things you miss the most.