A Quick Message to a Brunswick, Maine, Walmart Greeter

Dear Greeter,

I really wish I got a look at your nametag before I walked out of the store on Saturday morning, that way I could address you directly instead of in some sort of generic "Hey, random Walmart greeter" way, but here we are.

If this helps narrow it down, you were the Greeter working at the entrance/exit on the Grocery side of the Walmart in Brunswick, Maine, this past Saturday morning probably somewhere between 8a and 9a.

Now, honestly, being that I suck at sleeping anyway, having to be up and out and about that early on a weekend was already annoying to me, but since I had somewhere to be before Noon on Saturday, that's just how it had to be.

And honestly, that doesn't really have much to do with this quick message to you outside of just setting the scene for where my head and thought process was at. Simply put, I didn't really want to be there but I had to be.

Thankfully, the whole trip was pretty painless and since I didn't have a huge list, it was a pretty quick in-and-out trip. But after I checked out and paid, I started getting that "Walmart Exit Anxiety" -- a term that I just made up literally right now, unless it already exists then please don't sue me because I didn't know and I can't afford it -- where you approach the exit knowing you're going to have to dig around for your receipt so the Greeter can check it.

And quite honestly, the anxiety hit because in the short time span where I was like a person possessed bagging my groceries and paying, I tossed my receipt somewhere and had no idea where it went. BUT, as I approached the area of the exit, it seemed like I was home-free because I saw no one around.

Until you stood up and slowly started blocking the path between me and the exit. And then, you said the most unexpected thing to me that completely threw me off guard.

Hey! Good morning! You know what, sweetie? You're all set. Look at you and that big smile. Have a great day!

And honestly, Adorably Sweet Walmart Greeter Lady, you turned my entire day around with just that one quick speech. Not because you didn't make me dig around for my receipt.

But it was your smile and your upbeat attitude and your sweetness that brought me from being a possibly slightly annoyed, overwhelmed, and exhausted person in the middle of putting in 43 hours of work in four days to becoming a melted puddle of mush.

I literally felt the smile on my face widen without thinking about it after you spoke to me. So thank you, Huge-Hearted Walmart Greeter Lady. I hope you had a great weekend and kept your big smile on your face the entire time, and that it's still plastered on your face as I type and hopefully you read.