Dec 17 2008
Putting in perspective
I work as a server. Things are been pretty slow, and to be honest, hard times. Who isn’t having it rough, right? Well, Christmas is just around the corner and there seems to be more bills than money, and nowhere to turn.
I write this because I feel I have been selfish. It begins with man that comes in all the time with this wife and granddaughter and I use to wait on them. When it got slow serving, the boss moved me to cashier so many days of the week to try to make up for the loss.
When this man saw that I was no longer on the floor as much, he felt for me. It isn’t as much cashiering as I made serving and he knew this. Every Monday, I would cashier,he would come in, and another server would wait on him. Faithfully, he would come up and take my hand and slip me a 20.00 bill. During all this time, I have been grateful, but I thnk, came to expect it.
Well, I hadn’t seen him in 2 weeks, I wonder where he was. Monday, he and his family came in. As soon as I saw him I knew. People with cancer, have that look. My father, brothers and good friends, I have lost to pancreatic cancer. His wife confirmed he had cancer, pancreatic. At that moment, I cried. A flood of emotion swept over me, I cannot describe.
How, why? This man has the heart of gold. She told me, he didn’t want me to know, they had known for two months. For those two months, he had been given me money. I would gladly give it all back for his health. I don’t want his money, I want him to be whole. To be here for Christmas, and to see him smile the way he always did.
I remember the meaning of Christmas, much more now than I did this year. I don’t have it rough. Tears come too easy right now, just at the mere thought of what they are enduring. Hug someone that is close, thank someone who has done something nice. They may not be around as long as you think they will. Tomorrow may never come for anyone. It is not promised. Just give thanks.
