Kindness.
Appreciated when received.
Easy to extend, yet difficult to do.
Wednesday night before Thanksgiving found my tribe and me hungry after some intense soul work.
We wanted pho.
It was 11:00 PM.
Our local "go to" place is open until midnight on weeknights so we piled in the biggest car and off we went.
For whatever reason, those working this particular night decided only to-go orders would be accepted at 11:15 PM.
After some grumbling, we piled back in the car and headed to the other pho places in town to see if our craving could and would be satisfied.
It was not meant to be this night. We didn't like this. Nope, not one bit. The pho beast was calling.
We were meant to be somewhere else. Somewhere else we did not want to be but where He wanted us to be.
This I didn't see until a few days later.
God wanted us at IHop.
Yup, I said it and I believe it. He called us to IHop.
See, we arrived and it was what those in the industry call being in the weeds.
There were only 2 servers, limited kitchen staff, and
a lot of people in search of food on a cold, rainy Thanksgiving Eve.
Two souls, both with a name starting with J - one male, one female - were doing their best to manage.
Immediately upon our arrival, the phone was ringing. And ringing. And ringing. One of the Js was exasperated from finally making her way to the phone, only to be hung up on.
She had a look in her eye and sigh on her breath.
A look and sigh that spoke to me.
Ever so softly in my ear I heard -
say something.
So I did.
I said something to the effect of, "Girl, I got you. Lemme get that for you next time. Thank you for calling IHop, how can I help you. . .is that standard?"
She cracked a smile.
The tension eased a tiny bit. The air around her felt lighter.
She took the 5 of us to our table.
I believe she apologized for the wait, said she would be helping the other J out with serving us, and asked what she could get us to drink.
Orders were placed and drinks promptly brought to us. I honestly don't remember which J brought us our drinks or our food for that matter or which one made sure our drinks didn't run dry.
Throughout the experience I attempted to lighten the load so to speak. Cracking jokes, spreading kindness, and hoping the other patrons would see their plight and take it easy on them.
When all was said and done, the Js were professional. The Js were gracious. The Js were attentive.
They could have been cranky. They could have been less attentive. They could have been any number of things but they chose kindness.
As we left to check out, one of the kitchen staff was calling for the assistant manager to come in to assist them.
He or she declined.
Declined!
When your team calls for help, and it is not the calling wolf kind of help, you show up. This is my philosophy at least.
I knew what I had to do. Whether they accepted or not, I was making the offer. I was extending myself.
Hugs.
I offered the Js hugs.
Hugs in which I made them lean in to.
To take a moment and let a total stranger embrace them. To let a total stranger extend kindness. To let a total stranger validate their plight. To let a total stranger bear the burden for a few seconds. To let a total stranger honor them.
A few days later a call was placed to the general manager to let him know of their outstanding service.
A day after that, the tribe and I took each one a card and a pie. I didn't read what else was written on the card by my people. I don't need to know.
To know they wanted to honor, thank and recognize the Js made my heart full.
We will most likely never know what their reaction was to a table of 5 exuberant - possibly obnoxious women - cracking jokes, forcing hugs, calling general managers, dropping off pies and a card.
That's alright by me.
What I do know is kindness, gratitude, love, laughter, and answering the whispers is
Appreciated when received
Easy to extend, yet difficult to do
Go.
Do.
It might make all the difference to someone else and bring you joy too.
Peace and Love Y'all.
