A reminder about why people buy

I lower the box gently into the back of the stranger’s SUV.

I fold back the flaps to reveal eight place settings of Noritake Shenandoah china.

One of our “must-have” wedding gifts. Conservative guess—we used it MAYBE seven times in 37 YEARS.

It's dusk. Rush-hour traffic is racing by on Highway 167 in front of us. Behind us, the Super 1 parking lot is swarming with cars.

It's chilly. I'm freezing. So I pull back the bubble wrap. The woman, mid-30s, wearing black scrubs, leans in.

“Here are the salt and pepper shakers. And here…” I rummage in the bowels of the box, “A creamer pitcher? Is that what you call it? And a sugar bowl.”

I show her eight cups and saucers, carefully wrapped and stacked. I hold up assorted plates—for bread and salad and dinner—and her smile widens.

“It’s pretty,” she says.

“It is. But why we ever got fine china, I don’t know. We’re NOT formal people.”

“Oh, we’re not either! But my kids are growing up so fast. And I decided that before they’re gone, we’re gonna have some fancy, sit-down dinners at our dining room table.”

I grin. I can see it in my mind. Special occasions where this loving mom pulls out all the stops, pulls out THE FINE CHINA, and creates indelible memories for her family.

“It DOES go fast,” I nod, closing the box. “Good for you.”

She hands me a folded $100 bill. As I stick it in my jacket, it hits me—less a marketing maxim, more a truth about human nature…

This woman didn't just buy eight place settings of china.

She bought the special moments that some fancy dishes can help her create.

I give the box a pat. “I hope y’all get SO much joy from this.”

She shuts the rear door of her SUV and says with a smile, “That’s the plan.”