Who might you see for the last time today?

Barb, a checkout clerk at a supermarket I frequent, told me, “Be sure and come through my line again next time. Don’t let those self-checkouts become a habit.”

As I took my receipt from the machine that afternoon I replied, “Okay, Barb, I’ll do it, unless you have a long line of people with lots of items.” With a smile she said, “You better.” I returned the smile and moved on as she began to check out the next person.

This conversation between Barb and me had begun when I started placing items on the conveyer belt at her station. She said, “Where have you been? Using one of those self-checkout aisles, I bet.”

I confessed to her assessment. The supermarket with six clerk-operated checkout lanes had begun using clerks at only one or two of them because they were installing more self-checkout stations.

Barb said, “Pretty soon, those self-checkouts are going to put us out of a job. She had a valid point. With only one or two clerk-checkouts open, customers were being forced to use the self-checkouts, whether they liked it or not.

A news item on my smartphone the following morning told of a supermarket worker found dead in her car in the parking lot. Shockingly, it was Barb. Less than twenty-four hours earlier we had spoken. I never received a definite answer when inquiring about her death. But from what I did hear, she must have had a heart attack in her car after completing the shift in which we conversed.

No, it wasn’t COVID-19. Even though I’m writing about this now, it happened before the virus was ever a subject of concern. Barb’s shocking death sprang to mind today, however, as I read an article about death suddenly coming to victims in Portland, New York, Chicago and other cities. The article comes on the heels of viewing a show about 9/11 and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

I know you may be thinking this is not a very uplifting, inspirational or motivational subject. But it really is when you think about it more deeply. You’ve probably heard the quote, “Life is a miracle and every breath we take is a gift from God.” The quote certainly has a firm foundation, and it should lead us to better appreciate the breaths we have and never take them for granted.

It should also help us better appreciate the breaths of others and not take them for granted. In our family, we are never hesitant in showing our love for one another in various ways, including expressing it vocally. I recently read an article in which a man said his father never said or wrote anything such as “I love you” or “Love ya,” but felt that his father did love him.

But loving others should go far beyond the biological family. Of course, it’s a different type of love, and even though you don’t express it vocally you can express it in the way you deal with people in conversations and actions.

Currently, there is obviously a lot of hatred in our society. We may not be able to miraculously change that overnight. But we can concentrate on how we deal with those in our circles of influence.

At work or in any organization or community in which we participate, if we can focus on being diligent, open, honest and trustworthy in what we say and do, our “breaths” may help to make our circles and our world a little better. And the last time you see someone – or someone sees you – will be as pleasantly memorable as my last interaction with Barb.

? 2020 by Carl Mays, National Speakers Hall of Fame member and author of over a dozen books, including A Strategy For Winning (foreword by Coach Lou Holtz). Email: [email protected]. Visit carlmays.com.