An Angel Named Rosemary

"They said this would cover a pie for delivery but it doesn't fit well.  You have to tape it together"  said the little frail women in the Walmart checkout line just in front of me.  But that would not be all that she would share with me.  As I stood in line thinking about my trials and tribulation and the hurt I had in my life I didn't know a little angel stood in front of me. 

As I responded to this lady, she began to cry.  She said, "I am having a bad day.  I have 2 kinds of cancer, bone and lymph node cancer that is in stage 4."   I tried to comfort her the best I could as we stood there in line.  As she loaded her shopping cart items on the counter to be scanned she told me that she had to go to treatment and lay still for 4 hours and how hard it was for her to do that.    As it became time for her to pay, the lady at the checkout counter asked her how she was doing.  She politely said, "I'm Fine."  I said. "She is not fine.  She is having a very hard day."  The compassionate worker expressed her concerned and at that point my new friend shared her cancer story.

"What is your name", I asked.  "Rosemary,  Rosemary Haddock,  like the fish", she said with a giggle. "Rosemary, I would love to be your friend, can I have your phone number?" I inquired.   "I would love that," she said.  So we exchanged phone numbers and said goodbye with a promise to keep in touch.

The sweet lady at the checkout was so sweet.  She thank me for including her.  She said that Rosemary comes through her line several times a week and always says she is fine.  She said, "Now I can say Hi to Rosemary and let her know I care".

I finished up my shopping and drove home. I couldn't get my mind off of my new friend.  It seemed that she was an angel.  As I began to listen to her, I began to forget myself and feel great compassion for this sweet little lady that stood crying in line as she told me a piece of her story.

As I finished putting away my stuff at home, I pulled out Rosemary's number wrote it down and put it in a safe place. This sweet lady had touched my heart and I felt a great love for her.  "I'm going to call her right now" was my thought so I picked up the phone and called her. 

"Rosemary, this is Donna, the lady you just met at Walmart".  "Yes Donna, I am so glad I met you today.  You are one of my angels", she said.

So for the next hour and some, Rosemary and I visited on the phone.  Rosemary is 83 years old.  Her husband passed away 7 years ago and she misses him dearly.  They had been married 59 years when he passed.  She said they never had a vacation but they went dancing every Saturday night.  They had 3 children and one son comes by to check on her every day.

She continued to tell me about her husband, and how he loved to sing and made a record for her and the other day she was finally able to listen to it.  She told me of her puppy, Peppy, that she takes almost everywhere she goes and how he helps her make it through the day.  She told me of how she loves Jesus and how He has been good to her.  She told me of some trials with her children and grandchildren.  But she says, "I try to always be happy."  She cooks and serves others everyday in someway and though it takes her a very long time, she walks 2 miles everyday.  The cancer treatments have caused her to loose 79 lbs and she is down from a size 20 to a 4 so walking helps her keep going.  She says no matter what, she doesn't miss a day.

Many more things she shared with me.  That lady can talk, but it is like an excited child that wants to tell you everything that excites them.  I am suppose to go to Rosemary's home this week.  She wants me to see her home and listen to the record of her husband singing.  She says she loves to bake and she wants to make me some of her famous rolls.

I felt such great love for Rosemary the moment she looked at me and told me that the pie doesn't really fit in the little plastic container.

I am grateful that for whatever reason Rosemary broke for a moment to cry to a stranger in the Walmart check out line. I think Rosemary is an angel and I look forward to being her friend. I know God sends angels to minister to his children, sometime the angels are already here and he brought one to me that day.


Update: Rest in Peace my dear friend!