This is an extremely random person in my life however someone I have never, and will never forget.

I grew up just outside of the highly populated Orlando, Florida. To put in perspective how populated the area is, there are 4 public high schools within a 10 mile radius of my house, all having over 3,100 students. This is over 12,000 students who were around my age not including the private schools, religious schools, and the large handful of homeschool students near me.

So here’s where I start. My mom and I have been going to the same publix since I was around 5 years old, and one of the managers/ sales associates knows who I am. We have no prior relationship. Nothing at all, she simply remembers me as the very small girl with a strict mother. She remembers my name, my grade, and little things we talk about in our short encounters at bagging and the register. She’s commented on my posture, my manners, and would always follow it with: “Wow, your daughter is so respectful”. I always wondered if she did this to boost my mother’s ego, or maybe she did this because she saw the glimmering discomfort in my eyes.

She was a tall, heavy set woman. Even as I grew taller, she continued to tower over me. She had obviously dyed burnt orange-ish, brown hair. The same shade as a lucky penny. She had calloused hands and always wore a deep reddish purple lipstick to match with her huge beautiful smile. Her glasses would peer over the register and magnify her eyes as they squinted when she smiled. She wore a green Publix blouse which meant she was a little higher up than your average bag boy. There’s just one thing I never picked up. I don’t remember her name.

This makes me wonder, why me? Why did she remember me? Surely she doesn’t remember every single regular at that Publix, let alone every little snotty kid in my area. She was there when I went back to school shopping for 4th grade, for my first year of middle school, the first time I drove to get pub-subs alone for my family,  the last minute snack and pencil trip before my SAT. She would follow with the same “I remember when you were this tall” motioning a height from the floor that she presented as my 5 year old height. Most recently, she was there when I made a vegetable run during Christmas break from college. I buy these root vegetables so my father and I can make our famous roasted holiday dish. She was surprised I independently grabbed my own groceries, with my own money. I am almost certain she remembers the annual dish as well. She asked what college I go to, and followed it with the “Wow, you’ve grown up so fast”. The same way a distant aunt would. She’s been there for my 7 school switches, and I am almost certain she has been there for my last school switch ever.

My father always told me, a person’s favorite thing is the sound of their own name, and she always remembered mine. A person I will forever remember.