Sweet Potato Man

It won't take me long to pick out a potato when I just cook for myself.
Among the zippy and rushed cart drivers in the mid-Saturday mayhem at the grocery store today, there was a sweet little old man who crossed my life path in the potato aisle. He must have been in his eighties and he was blocking the entire span of the sweet potato display. I wasn't in a hurry: my normal buggy driving speed, respectful patience, and no outward signs of haste should not have tipped him off that I was wanting him to move. He just shuffled backwards a little so that I could reach for some yams. Those were his words. I assured him that he could take his time, and wished him a nice rest of the day. His words stuck with me.
I learned at that moment that I truly love having a full grocery cart. It is a symbol of my life. I've never just shopped for myself. I've never had to just portion my cooking for one. I fill the cart weekly with nourishment, both in food form and the potential love that goes into preparing everything. All of this is at the core of my being and my self worth.
I started to think about what it would be like if I had the sparse little cart, holding only a few things just for me. What if I put one meager little sweet potato inside a bag just for myself. Would I ever put in the time, effort, and attention into preparing meals for just me? When would I ever need a whole package of carrots? It would take ages for me to go through a whole tub of peanut butter, or a jug of pancake syrup.
I thrive on feeding my family. For the remainder of the shopping experience, and still now, I am sad for the man with the one sweet potato. In that one little sentence, I knew a lot about that man. He liked sweet potatoes. He is lonely. Someone at some point probably took care of him, his grocery shopping, and his nourishment. And he misses that.
Tonight I got to bake my full bag of sweet potatoes. I piled them all up and took them to my parents' house. There, we all gathered and talked and ate our food together, enjoying each other's company. I am humbled to have these little experiences in my life that remind me to not take things for granted. I never knew I could have so much reflection over sweet potatoes.