Writing Prompts by Rupi Kaur

The most magical moment I’ve shared with a stranger was…

There is no way that I can just write about one stranger that I had a magical moment with. There are several. Maybe every day. How could I just pick one?

My gratitude list is easy when it comes to family and friends.

It gets a bit more difficult when it is someone I just met. I met a woman at my weekly group this week. She is from Red Lake. I know some of her family. She doesn’t look like a native. Her father is from Red Lake and her mother must be caucasian. It happens all of the time.

She was not a guest there but rather a consultant. No breaking anonymity.

My children do not look Native American though either, even though their dad and mother have American Native and Canadian Native ancestry. Because they were socialized as Native American, they may be more Native American than someone you cannot mistake for Native American.

Why was this stranger moment so magical? We had a great conversation and then I told her that I am currently looking for someone to take over my group there. She is already doing two groups a week there. Wouldn’t three be even better? Yes, that is what I thought.

She is a consultant and right now her groups there are the only groups she is doing. Now, of course, others would have to weigh in on this, but I am going to help with this process in the best way I can.

I told her I had been looking for a replacement for a couple of years now. That is when she said that she was interested. She has been trying to get some training through White Bison. We had a conversation about that too. Not necessary for this position.

I told her that I had been thinking that I needed to get a raise as the position didn’t pay that well. She encouraged me to do that and then she said to keep her in mind for the position.

This was the first person who sounded interested to the point that she was serious, and I could tell. She already works there, knows the guests, and has experience with substance abuse and mental health. Score!!

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Now, another experience from this week. I ride on a cart in the grocery store and in Target and Walmart. People are always so gracious. When someone realizes I am in a cart and looking at a top-shelf item, it never fails that I am offered assistance.

I find myself explaining that I can walk, I just cannot manage the big box stores without running out of breath. They still offer to help. Did I mention that I smile at and talk to everyone? I do whether they talk to me or smile at me or not it makes no difference. This may be why I am offered help.

The other day, the young Native American guy working at the checkout bagging groceries had a conversation with me about the seemingly ending of the pandemic and school. He said while schools were closed, he didn’t attend the online classes, and he thought most of his friends didn’t either.

I told him that as a Native American woman education has been very important in my life. I wanted to be comfortable, not rich, and be able to help family and friends that needed help. I have been able to do that.

As I was putting my groceries in the pushcart to go to my car, he was right there to help.

He parked the riding cart for me and helped me to my truck. I thought my change-of-life truck might impress him. It appeared to me that the importance of getting an education may change for him. Score!

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First published by Mercury Press on medium.com