Life is Full of the Unexpected Joy

She walked through the main doors of Chapters in Peterborough. I noticed her immediately: everything she wore was white! Her jacket and pants were mismatched, but white! Her ankle socks met her almost-ankle-length pants and were at home in her white summer shoes. White on white! Even her hair was white! But the floral blouse she wore stood out like a black swan amongst white beauties…you know the Sesame Street song… “One of these things doesn’t belong!” It was almost a distraction.

Our eyes never met and I watched her disappear down an aisle that housed a multitude of books…but then, that’s what Chapters is all about: books.

And that’s why I was there…to sell my books.

Within the first fifteen minutes, a Trent University student stopped by my display and shared her desire and passion to write a book. We talked in length, and I felt encouraged when Courtney left, not only with a copy of my first book, but a smile of determination on her face.

After reading the cover of both my books and tucking the signed copies under her arm, another woman asked, “How come I’ve never heard of you before?” I told her I was just a snowflake on an iceberg in the publishing world, but that I was on the iceberg. She laughed all the way to the cashier.

A mother and daughter; Seng and his Irish wife, Hilda; a quiet woman, intimidated just by the thought of a conversation with an author; a woman who had purchased my first book a few months earlier and was delighted to meet me and learn of my sequel…all wonderful people, engaging and encouraging.

And then…there she was, the lady in white, standing in front of my table! I had lost track of how long she’d been in the store, but soon forgot such a nonessential when she began to talk.

“I’m always looking for a good book,” she shared, smiling, as she held onto my first book and flipped the sequel over to the back cover.

And then I was enlightened!

Her name was Jean. She golfed twice a week, played bridge religiously and was an avid reader, going to bed late and reading long into the night! I noticed she didn’t wear glasses and marvelled a little. (We both have white hair and I not only wear glasses, but trifocals!)

In two months Jean will be ninety years old! To say I was amazed would be an understatement.

I sold ten books last Saturday. But the enchanting moments spent with this almost ninety-year-old woman left me a bit mesmerized. Jean…who held her head high, stood tall and waved her parcel of my two books at me as she left Chapters.

I smiled all the way home! Joy does that to you.