Mykaela Villa was working the window at her stand in Peoria, Arizona when she shared a touching moment with a woman who was experiencing devastating family troubles.
“This older lady came in and I asked her how her day was,” Villa said. “She just looks at me and says ‘I’m not doing so well.’ I dug deeper, asked why, and she tells me, ‘A couple years ago I lost a son because he was addicted to heroin, and I think that I’m about to lose another one, and I’m not sure I can go on.’”
Villa paused for a moment and was immediately in shock that someone would tell her — an 18-year-old broista — something so deeply personal. She began to ask questions.
“I got a lot of insight about … how she got through it, why she thinks that she is going to lose another son, etc.,” Villa said. “For a living she goes around the world and talks about her son's journey, and she told me that she has gotten laws passed and changed because she is an advocate for her son, who doesn’t get to speak about recovery or the affects of this drug.”
Villa was especially touched because she could relate to the toll drugs can take on a family.
“My mom is a meth addict and has been since before I was born so dealing with this — even though it isn’t heroin — I can relate to,” Villa said. “I could relate to drugs destroying someone’s life and family. I can relate to being scared about losing someone you love. I can relate to it all, and I feel like somehow she could sense that.”
The woman told Villa she doesn’t know how to help her other son.
“She was scared — if she couldn’t save her other son, how is she going to save this one?” Villa said. “She then began to cry as I held her hand and told her that I myself can’t tell what the future holds but that I knew she was a very strong woman and I told her that I admired her.”
Villa told her that she would pray for, that she loved her, and that she was here for her.
“The line was backed up pretty bad after she left, but it was worth it,” Villa said. “That morning I had no expectation or was given any reason to think I was going to meet someone who just told me deep things about their life. … But I felt a sense of calmness because I thought of all the things I’m fortunate enough to have.”
Villa and the customer had the chance to encourage each other through their family experiences and came out on the other side feeling a little less alone. Villa’s impactful moment shows the power of simply listening and holding space for others through a difficult moment — an opportunity we all have in our families, workplaces, friend groups, and out and about in our daily lives.