Every now and then an unexpected encounter with an unknown person can affect your thought processes and make you rethink your own mortality. Such an incident occurred several weeks ago at a Panera Bread store in Chesterfield, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. It was on this day that my grandson, Joshua, and I traveled to the local bread company for our traditional breakfast cinnamon roll.

 As we were entering the store, I noticed a car in the handicap parking slot with Texas plates. Once inside the store, I spotted an elderly gentleman attempting to balance three cups of coffee on a tray as he was preparing to leave. A lady offered to accompany him to his car but since she was next in line, I volunteered to walk him to his car. Joshua held open the door, and I carried the tray of coffee as the man hobbled to the parking lot.

When we arrived at his car, I saw that he had the vehicle with the Texas plates. I asked him if he was visiting friends in the area or just passing through town. His response left me dumbfounded. He indicated that he “wanted to spend his last days with his daughter” because he had stage-five cancer.

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