To spread some kindness right now, let's take a journey back in time when dinning in restaurants was normal!
On the weekends, I use to work at a small local restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and a friendly work environment. The restaurant consisted of two connected rooms, a front section and a back section. This specific weekend, we filled the backroom with a party of almost 40 people at 5 o’clock, then began taking more tables at 7, filling up the front room too. We ran out of tables up front, so a young couple had to sit in the back with the party. They were okay with it because the food is way too good to skip out on!
The party in the back room was loud, of course. Where people gather, noise follows right along. A community of people were gathered to enjoy the night together, a large company party. This group was super chatty and real friendly from the start. The boss, the organizer of the party, treated us with kindness throughout the whole night. He was patient and encouraging, complementing our work.
As the night came to an end and people were saying their goodbyes, the man stopped one of the waitresses asking for me to come out to the desk. I finished up my task and headed out believing he was there to pay his check. To my surprise he said, “I would really like to pay for that young couple’s bill, all night they had to deal with our chattiness. It is the least I could do for them.”
Wow! He noticed that young couple sitting together, trying very hard to enjoy their evening while chatter filled the air. He felt for them. Yet, the young couple weren’t bothered by the noise. They made no complaints all night! They enjoyed their food and drinks with smiles, just happy to be with one another. I could not believe what this man was doing for two people he never met before...
The night continued on, everyone from the party left and the couple asked for their bill. I couldn’t help but smile; “Your bill has been covered already, the party here earlier wanted to apologize for the noise.”
They were shocked!! The kindness of this man melted their hearts. They wanted to do something special for him in return! It was so sweet to see such kindness displayed and how it impacted these individuals.
How long will the couple remember this act of kindness from him? I feel as though it is a story I will remember forever, and it wasn't even my dinner that he paid for, I was just apart of it!!
Think about a time someone did something for you? Is it something you will never forget? These small acts can go such a long way.
I challenge you to complete an act of kindness today. It doesn’t have to include money; it could be just a conversation with someone over the phone. You never know what someone may be going through. Check out this video to see how our acts of kindness really impact people: The Science of Kindness
Until next time,
Lily
Video Citation: randomactsofkindness (2017, Nov 13). The Science of Kindness [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9UByLyOjBM
