PLEASE READ THIS: Gifts from a stranger

I could NOT wait to get home and share this story. I am having a graduation party next weekend with my family and close friends for my Master's, and so I was at Target picking out a dress to wear. I found a very plain teal dress that I loved, and I was in the jewelry section trying to find something to match. I was putting necklaces around the hanger and holding them up together to try and get a better idea of what the ensemble would look like, and a lady, probably in her late fifties walked past me and said, "That looks nice together!" I turned around to look at her. She was your standard loving mother/aunt/grandma type of woman with gray hair and nice eyes. She was smiling, and she was wearing black Keds with Tweety-Bird on them! She was so cute, and although I am usually uncomfortable when talking to a stranger, I let myself go with her.

"You think so?" I asked. She began to point out all of the colors of jewelry that would go nicely with my dress, and each one she picked up she placed around the hanger and stepped back so I could see them together. We did this for about ten minutes, and she began asking me about myself and what the occasion was. Typically, I would be a little alarmed by a stranger doing this, but not her. I told her about my graduation and my party and how I wanted to look really pretty that night. She was very happy to hear about my accomplishment and patted me on the back, "Well you must be so proud of yourself! You should get a matching bracelet too!" I laughed at how cute she was and we began trying to find the perfect bracelet for my dress.

The conversation went something like this...
Woman: Don't you just love it when a stranger talks your ear off and helps you pick out jewelry??
Me: Actually, I do! I think this is fun.
Woman: I do too!

She picked up a color of jewelry I would never have paired with my dress, and she held it up and stepped back and it was just perfect. My mom used to do things like that...pick up things I wouldn't like at first glance and never consider, and somehow, it always worked. The woman looked at the pair together and gasped.

Woman: Well isn't that pretty together? It's amazing how much a different color can change the whole outfit! I think you would look darling in this.
Me: I love that, it's perfect...

I began to choke up, and I can't really even explain why. I thought it was so nice of her and so lovely of her to help me and talk with me as if she knew me for years. It was nice to know that I would look nice on my special night and that it was confirmed by a stranger simply looking at jewelry with me. She was so warm and loving to me, and she didn't know me from a ham sandwich.

Woman: Oh, don't cry, honey. You should be so proud of yourself!
Me: I am, I am. My mom died in October. She had leukemia. And sometimes I really miss her, especially when I'm trying to pick out this kind of thing. Thank you so much, you're so nice.

The woman began to tear up and I could see that I was making her upset.

Woman: Well, I don't have any daughters, so this is good for me too. I'm really enjoying this. What's your name?
Me: Julia.
Woman: Well, Julia, I'm Marilyn, and your mother would be very proud of you and you should know that. And you will look beautiful at your party.

I cried even harder. I thanked her again, and we took one final look at my outfit and then she walked with me through the store a little longer. We said our goodbyes, and for some reason, I kept crying, although I'm not sure why. She was a lovely person.

I wanted to share this story because it has warmed my heart to meet such a wonderful person in our world, when sometimes, unfortunately, it seems as though they are few and far between. I will not hold back that I wished I would have exchanged numbers, because I would love to take her out to dinner since she helped me so much and made me feel so good about myself. It meant the world to me, and I wish more people would do this type of thing for each other.

You never know who you will reach out to and how you will touch them. She was so warm and really touched my heart in a way I have not felt in a long time-in a motherly sort of way.

I will not forget this day or this lovely woman, Marilyn.