but in many ways we are not strangers.

I overheard three women talking about losing their husbands, and I nearly cried. One of the things I dread the most about aging is losing loved ones, and my whole life in so intertwined with my husband that losing him would feel like losing half of my own life.

I have also made a real point this last year or so to engage people working in stores and restaurants in conversation, and learning to see each one of them as people, not just strangers. When I do this, I am less likely to be impatient, to feel like they are doing a crappy job, or to feel like I’m wasting my life in a line up. I try to see how I might feel, doing their job, and how they would perceive me as a customer.

I have also made a point of smiling at people when I am out and about, and it makes me feel more like we are all in this together. I feel like other people see me, and I see them. 8 months ago