So, I am at a store with a full crowd of people, milling about everyone seemingly needing to be on the exact same hunk of earth at the same time.
And I got what I needed and headed to the check out.
Which was, in an of itself, quite a bit of crazy.
So what happens next is kind of stunning and also makes you take pause and okay, makes you grateful for people who get each other.
Amidst the line of people, one young clerk timidly told the person to put the “line closed” marker up on her belt.
She then continued to ring out that person and when it was time to leave my best guess is that the little older lady did not see the sign, and so she started to unload her groceries on the very belt that had the sign on it.
The young clerk, very nicely, said that she had to go on a break.
And this is where it happened.
This very sweet older lady looked at her and said “Oh, it’s break time? I get it, you go take some time. How much time do you get? and after the girl answered she said “I worked, I understand”
She then put back her few items into her cart and smiled at the young clerk and slid into a new line.
I know that generation!
They were our wonderful workers. And many still are working.
You see them, I see them. In fact, there is a lady named Rose who outworks and out work ethics the younger sect of her coworkers at our car shop.
And this little older lady at the grocery store was one of the ones who you could just see- understood. Break time means break time…..then you work.
Maybe others would have not understood but this little lady did. It was just something in her voice that told you that.
It was the idea that this is work and you listen to your superiors, and you do your best.
And this got me thinking about our young adults with special needs. Especially MY young adult with special needs.
She loves to work.
She works hard, listens and does her best each time.
She comes home as she says “exhausted” but proud of herself
She would work everyday and in fact with the holiday seasons, she works the morning shift and the evening shift at her catering job when she can.
Our young adult workforce is an untapped resource of people who will give it their all, try their best and show up HAPPY to be there.
I see it in my Elizabeth and as I write this, she is getting ready to go to her catering job from 9-12 then to the gym to workout and then back to work from 4:30 -8:30.
Sounds busy, does it not?
But she just called me from upstairs as she woke up to say good morning and ask how I was feeling today.
Pretty wonderful!
Our kids are these amazing people and we need to continue to believe in them.
Advocate for them, support them and hope that others see or get to see just what they can bring to a life and a job.
See you next month.