One woman, manicured and hurried, passing by in the coffee line.  Awkwardly smiling, both of us trying to get our caffeine.

One woman, laughing and happy, asking about others, flourishing in her customer service role and knowing her regulars.

One woman, face swollen, blood everywhere, hair matted with dirt and plants.  Having fought for her life and won.  Living a nightmare, knowing it'll take years for her to ever walk on a trail alone again and she'll never look at a stranger without fear.

One woman, selling out her own children in order to not anger her new lover.  Lying, over and over again, knowing that she is destroying the sacred mother-child relationship but still moving forward.


And this woman, tired, unsure if these other four even consider each other as they walk through the world, happening to intersect with my shift on a sunny day.  Knowing that these four women walk in different worlds, and while what I did didn't matter to most, it mattered to at least one woman today.