There we sat, scrunched into a tiny booth in an impossibly crowded restaurant, when she came up and softly asked in heavily accented English if she could take our order. She must have known that she could be difficult to understand because she never once broke our gaze - using her eyes to ask as much as her voice.
We told her what we wanted, customizing our order just as if we were eating at a more expensive restaurant and she captured what we wanted, perfectly. Shortly we were happily chatting and dining on eggs, scrapple, and...of course...pancakes.
We asked for the bill and it came, promptly. The $30 tab reflected my customization (I'm an ala carte girl) and was the cheapest meal we've eaten in recent memory. Chris wandered off to pay the bill and I reached into my wallet to grab cash for the tip.
I thought about about the percentage for the tip and grabbed $6. Then I thought about the service and grabbed a bit more cash. I remembered her eyes and the softness of her voice and reached back in. Even as I dropped the cash onto her table I thought about how many times I've paid a straight 20% tip on a meal four to five times more expensive ...and, unfortunately...not as good. How is it that her service was worth less?
My first hour this morning was spent in getting ready for the day. My second hour included telling my daughter and my lover that I love them. My third hour reminded me to love myself. My fourth hour was in the DMV where I smiled gratefully at the woman behind the counter and observed outloud to her that it seemed many people come to her for help. She smiled throughout our 10 minute encounter, fixed a problem that had vexed me for years (I have two middle names, the result of refusing to give up the name I'd been born with and Virginia's decision nearly 2 decades ago to hyphenate the second one with my last one), and I was grateful for the good work she was doing.
I arrived the office with a smile, feeling connected to the world around me, greeted by coworkers who have become dear to me and as I unlocked my office door the bright sun caused me to squint as I sat down to my desk to perform my own service to others.
And now, 14 hours after the start of my day I feel as if it was a day well spent - connected to the universe in the spirit of service and grateful for the blessings in my life - including those who served me with a smile today.
NL
