This child goes shopping every week with his mother so he can meet his best friend
Soulmates are not only the two halves of a couple but also kindred spirits, people that regardless of the differences, they manage to establish a deep and immediate connection.
This is the case of Charlie and Erin, who met by chance and now great friends.
The first is a sprightly two-year-old boy who has Down's syndrome, and the second is a woman who is a cashier at the Kroger supermarket, with whom the small boy shares the same genetic condition.
It all began when Allyson, Charlie's mother, took the little boy with her one day to shop at the grocery store. When the time came to pay, the boy and his mother lined up at one of the checkout lanes where there was a Kroger supermarket employee named Erin.
The woman understood from the somatic features that the little boy has Down's syndrome and asked timidly the mother to confirm it. When Allyson said yes, Erin affirmed that she too had the same chromosomal anomaly, and that was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
Since then Charlie and his mother go to the same store every Tuesday to be sure to meet Erin so that the baby can say hello to his friend and spend some time with her.
Sometimes Erin likes to put the child in a shopping cart, and dart through the shopping lanes in the supermarket, as Charlie shrieks with joy while having a good time.
The woman said she felt a strong bond with the little boy from the first glance, as two kindred souls recognizing each other.
On the other hand, Allyson is happy that her son has a new friend, and seeing Erin so independent and socially integrated, she feels more confident about Charlie's future.
The hope is that this little Tuesday ritual will last for many years, as well as the link between Erin and little Charlie.
This story has more than one moral and many meanings, starting from the way in which one can perceive diversity, such as recognizing the ability to overcome difficulties with commitment and will.
Last but not least there is the theme of friendship, a form of affection that can be born at any moment and in any place.
What happened to Erin and Charlie can teach us to always believe in ourselves, to look at the world through the eyes of the heart and to think that a best friend exists for everyone.
