Do you have somebody that you would consider to be a best friend? Are they more than somebody who is only around temporarily but rather, is a best friend for life? Some of us have experienced this in our lifetime and when you have such a friend that you can trust with your most personal information, it’s an amazing thing to experience.
We might all have what is known as a ‘kindred spirit’ and sometimes we might bump into them at the most unexpected places. That is what happened with Allyson, a busy mother who watched her two-year-old son, Charlie become attached to a bagger at the local Kroger supermarket. Her name was Erin and as she was bagging their groceries, she saw Charlie’s unique physical appearance and asked if he had down syndrome.
After confirming that Charlie does have downs, Erin said that she also had downs and from that point forward, they were best of friends. Anytime Allyson would stop at the store, the friendship would pick up where it left off. They now visit the store every Tuesday so they can say hello.
“I can be across the store and she sees, and she waves and we say ‘hi.’ She’s kind to everyone, not just me,” said Allyson. On most trips, Charlie is allowed to help bag at the checkout. At other times, he takes a spin in the shopping cart to go up and down the aisles as quickly as possible.
Erin knew that her son Charlie had found that someone special as soon as they met. “I felt a lot of connection when he was looking at me with his eyes. I could tell by his eyes that he’s connected to me,” she said.
She said she has hope for her son’s future when she sees them interacting.
“Anytime you see any person with special needs, it’s always, to me, inspiring to see them in the workplace because it just proves to the rest of the world who might have any doubts or concerns that they can do that too,” Allyson said.
You never know what is going to happen when you are out, even if you are at a grocery store. Sometimes you may just meet your best friend, and we’re so thankful that Charlie got to meet his.