My niece Amelia was shopping at Apache Seeds this week and while she was there she noticed an elderly woman, perhaps 75, carefully and at great length making selections of a few plants and packets of seeds. She would look at the prices, add them up, put some back, take another, add them up; all with a look of concern on her face. Finally she made her way to the counter where she asked the clerk to tell her how much it added up to, which was just over $25.00. When she was informed of the price, she looked through the few packets, and once again and took some out to reduce the expense. Amelia, noting her dismay at the cost said to the lady at the till “I’ll be paying for these seeds and plants.” The elderly lady just looked at Amelia and started to cry. Then Amelia started to cry with the lady behind the counter added to the flow of tears.
In relaying the story to her mother later that day Amelia was incensed that our eldest citizens, in such an affluent society, have to worry about buying a few seeds. It is upsetting …. but I just want to say to Amelia, thank you, from all of the rest of us, for taking matters into your own hands, for not waiting for the government or someone else deal with the matter. You are creating community in a concrete jungle by sharing a few seeds and bedding plants.
Love that Amelia! Such a generous person! So caring.