today, Milo and i went to Denny's after Mass and stopping by to say hi to Michelle's momma. he was all decked out in one of the new shirt and tie sets he got for Christmas. we got to the building and you know how you stand at the counter waiting for someone to ask you "how many?" well we stood there for a minute when two men walked in. they looked like business men with their logos on shirts look and trench jackets. well the girl looked up and asked the men before me and milo "how many?" no question perhaps of who was here first, but she just took the two professional men over the mother and child. i won't pull the race card, she was just not using her common sense. so i started to stew about it and was about to leave. the other lady at the counter sat us after a few minutes. she could see i was pissed. *sigh* what to do.
so i went as far as telling her what happened. nothing else happened. i am so not surprised.
i tried to let it go. i had lost my appetite but i ordered anyway (milo usually polishes off what i don't eat anyway). i was thinking up ways to ask for a comp meal or something for the horrible hospitality, when a lady came up to my table and handed me a coupon for 20% off my entire tab. how very nice of her. she gave one to the table behind me as well. she said she would not be back by the time the rest of them expired so i thanked her and forgot all about the huff and puff i was about to raise.
so off to the counter Milo and I go to pay our tab. i was thinking that she deserved a surprise. so i paid her tab. that's right. that lady was there with three kids. i paid her tab. my tab after the coupon wasn't even 10 bucks so i paid it. me and Milo went back to thank her for the coupon and were on our way. Milo was trying to figure out what we had just done. i told him that we just shared a smile. if we could make her day by paying her tab, we were paying her back in kindness for the coupon she gave us while asking for nothing in return. i told him that if she is smiling and she passes that smile onto someone else, they would probably pass it on to someone else and milo chimed in with " and people would be smiling all over California". i added a bit more by telling him that hopefully it would be the cause of people smiling all over the world.
then we went home and i cleaned the kitchen while Milo played in his room.
there is so much that i cannot give my son materialistically, but i can give him so much more on the spiritual and emotional level. milo was dressed so smartly for church. he really has a way with people. when we get to the part where we show the sign of peace to one another, milo is the first with his hand out there saying Peace be with You. today he Hi Fived one of our Deacons. it was cute. i love my son. i love that he loves God. i love that he watches Father Joe in awe. i also love that he is not at all afraid to ask questions. even if it means that he might be setting an adult straight. like Jesus in the temple.
whatever my son becomes in life, i know that i started him off right. i am giving him what he needs to be a good Christian citizen. a child of God. a mother's son.
this job i love.
i was touched in this same way. i don't know when and i don't know by whom, but i have always had this in my heart. i am glad to see that it was not a fluke with me and that i can pass this on to my son.
please, everyone, pay it forward if you can.
pay for someone mocha at starbucks or smile at a person who may or may not need it. give a person room to make a lane change or just wave someone across the intersection even if they stopped a split second after you.
i have been blessed and i am more than grateful. don't get me wrong, i am still human, but i know things could be much worse. things could be better, but they could be worse. i know that i can give what i can and be content that i have done my part and will continue to do so.
somehow, this season has changed me. i can't describe it.
g
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