Life of a Shopping Cart

A shopping cart saved my life. Don’t look at me that way…I’m old, but I still got all my marbles. I’ve had this cart since 1978, when I had my first baby. We didn’t have the fancy strollers then and even if we did, I couldn’t afford one. I had to borrow this cart from my neighborhood store. I’d lay my baby in the wire basket in a bed of blankets and walk to the grocery store three blocks from my house, carting food and diapers and a sleeping babe back and forth. I locked that cart up to the bike rake at our apartment building. No one messed with it. Never.
 
I had three kids in that thing and when they were grown and left my house, I still used the cart near every day. My cart came with me everywhere—picking up garbage around my apartment building, delivering food to my sick neighbors, carrying books from the library—walking, walking everywhere. And a few years back, when my hip started aching, this here cart worked as a walker, holding me up when I needed it.
 
On Sunday when my preacher spoke about being mindful of the blessings in our lives, I thought of my shopping cart. It had carried so much. Took the burdens I couldn’t always carry. I darn near had a tear in my eye right there in the pew. I guarantee I was the only one in the congregation thinking about my shopping cart. But I’m telling you, it kept me company, kept me mobile, and helped me help others. It saved my life.
 
So, let me ask you this, what are your blessings? You can tell me, the shopping cart lady. I won’t laugh no matter what you say…you can count on that.
 

 

Postcard Stories Podcast – An Author Reading.