One would think that with the frigid temperatures, I would opt to stay home where it is toasty and warm; however, as you all know, I have spent the last few days cuddled in and was beginning to go a little stir crazy. Sooooooo when a friend called to see if I was up for a road trip to scope out a new snowmobile, the answer was most certainly YES! After all, who doesn't love a little time to have some good conversation and perhaps a little avoidance of the mass amount of papers I still have left to correct would be okay too?
We packed up our winter gear, threw in a bag just in case, and headed south. The trek took us down somewhere by Lawry, MN which is actually only a hop skip and a jump away from my little sister who lives between Dalton and Ashby. After the snowmobile deal was done and her new sled loaded, we were off. I called Dawn to see if she was home as I really did want to pop in on her. It was priceless when I asked her what she was doing? She said she was almost home and then I asked her if I could come over? WHAT???? She was shocked and it was so fun just say the words "can I stop by for a visit?" It often envy sisters that are close enough geographically that they can run over for a visit, stop by when one or the other needs a good cry and a hug, or just have a cup of coffee together . . . sigh . . .
Ahhhhhhh, but we do not live close to one another, and quite honestly, this opportunity has NEVER presented itself like this. AND do you know what I saw? I saw my sister, cuddled into her chair in her studio, her editing tools in her lap, her coffee cup close by, and her blanky wrapped around her . . . who does that sound like? ME! I saw the most amazing images being prepared for some mama and papa that were waiting to "present" their little one as a gift to others this holiday season. I saw the world through her eyes and the views were simply breathtakingly beautiful.
Then it happened! I got to just sit and visit, see my niece, brother-in-law, the animals of the Nelson zoo, have a cup of yummy flavored coffee, and experience the chaos that comes with being a part of a family . . . and in that little snap shot of time, I got some much needed fuel to warm my heart that could carry me through the holiday season.
Next stop . . . surprise Sarah! Fargo was a little out of the way, but not so much that it wasn't worth just popping in on Rah! Originally I wanted to take Rah and Jesse out for supper to celebrate, but unfortunately she had to work so that was not an option. However, a girl has to eat so where better to stop in but at the Longhorn which was where she was working for the evening. I snuck in and requested a table in her section. I could see her in the distance, her blond pony tail bouncing as she smiled at her customers, but I tucked down so she wouldn't spot me. BUT she is like a homing pigeon where I am concerned, and she honed in on me almost immediately and came bopping over. BUSTED! Her look was priceless . . . it warmed my heart, and I could feel a heat front in my spirit!
Rah was actually nearing the end of her shift so she had a few minutes to just sit down and chat with us. The food was AMAZING, but the company was really the gift! She was so excited about Jesse's new job, she chatted about her evening, she talked about hiding her little Christmas gift that I brought her, she snuck a few bites of my food, and it was such a gift just to have the "time" with her and to "see her smile!" As we got ready to leave, I slipped her a little something and my buddy slipped her a lil something more. We gave her our leftovers so she could have some supper, and we were off!
I planned on seeing my friend, I planned on looking at a snowmobile, I planned on taking a short journey, but as it often does, life took me down a different road. I think that when we are open to taking a different direction than we originally planned, we can see someone or some things that we never dreamt we would see. That road gave me the gift of a day where my heart is COMPLETELY FULL! I gave the gift of time, and the love and joy I received, priceless!
Sarah Day 10
Well . . . It's been a long evening. I just got home from work and I'm exhausted. All I really want is a long hot bath and some food! Every day that I waitress, I come home and my whole body aches. It's amazing how tiring it can be to serve for five hours.
While I was at work, I was waiting on a table of four guests. There were two men and two women. They were my ideal table to serve. They were middle aged, really kind and very easy to talk to. When they were about halfway through their meal, one of the men spoke up and said that he would be taking care of the bill. I wasn't surprised that he asked to take care of their tab . . . what was surprising, was when he leaned over to me and said "you know that table of four that you're serving? They're two tables back." I nodded yes as he continued to say "I want their bill too. They don't have to know who did it, just tell them that it's taken care of."
I chose to stay with the table for a bit and chat about the man and his kind gesture. The others at the table said that it's not uncommon for him to do things like that. They said he likes to pay for meals for others. That man didn't act like he wanted any praise for his generosity. He didn't say much when the others were bragging about him and his history of random acts of kindness. I smiled at the man and told him that I really appreciated what he was doing. Then I opted to tell the table about this blog. I told them that I was grateful that I had the privilege to wait on them and witness their kind deed, because I didn't have anything to write about yet. The all smiled their kind smiles when I told them they would be my topic of choice for the evening.
After we finished chatting, I went over to the other table of four, and let them know that another table asked to take care of their tab. They were shocked. They asked which table it was and I said that I had strict orders not to tell. They went on to ask me to make sure I told them thank you and that they really appreciated it. After I agreed, I told them they were free to go whenever they were ready and that I hoped they had a great rest of their evening. They left feeling full and happy!
P.S. This was not my tip . . . just something I found on Pinterest. Obviously, because I don't have a daughter.
Seeing that man and his random act of kindness brought me back to our blog last year. One of my acts was paying for an older couples breakfast bill. I remember how good I felt doing it that one time, and it had me wishing that I was able to do that more. Unfortunately, I'm as broke as a door, and I can't financially afford doing that often.
If you're wondering about my awesome simile . . . Mom, Jordan and Jesse always make fun of me when I tell them I'm as broke as a door because they don't think it makes sense. I have to explain it over and over again and tell them that it does indeed make sense because when a door is broke, it's usually really broke. Actually, Jesse and I have a broke door right now at our home . . . it's pretty broke. I would say that I'm about as broke as our door. Hence, broke as a door. Clever, I know.
Well . . . I think I'm finally off to bed. I know that I'm going to get a lot of much needed sleep tonight and I'll probably dream about random acts of kindness. I find that when I have something on my mind that I can't stop thinking about, I usually dream about it. I'm looking forward to witnessing more acts of kindness in the next couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to doing some acts of kindness myself. Tonight, I ask that if you can think of something kind to do for someone else, that you please do it. It doesn't have to be extravagant or pricey . . . it can be simple and not cost a dime. I just think it's amazing to see the way people react to having something nice done for them and I'm sure it helps to brighten up the holidays. It's important that we remember what the holiday season is all about.
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