13 Jun A Complimentary Breakfast
The woman seated at the table next to me asks for a to-go box. She is having the complimentary breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant with her two small children, who are scribbling wildly on the paper menus with red and blue crayons.
The waitress apologizes, explaining that there are no boxes available. She whispers to the woman that the manager frowns at people taking things to go from the breakfast buffet. She will check to see if she can find some sort of container.
The waitress comes back to the table and shakes her head, saying she can’t find any containers or boxes in the back.
The woman smiles and says understands. She thanks the waitress for checking. In between picking up crayons that have rolled onto the floor and cutting sausage into bite-sized pieces for her children, she finds moments to eat small bites from her plate of eggs and toast.
The woman and her children talk about their travel day back home. Her daughter has many questions about the travel plan, wondering whether she will get to sit next to the window, who will pick them up from the airport, and how long the plane ride will be. The woman patiently answers each question.
Her restless toddler kicks his little legs against the booth seat, chanting, “Mama-mama-mama-mama,” in rhythm. The woman puts her fork down and sings him the “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” song. He smiles and moves his fingers to accompany the words she is singing. When the song ends, he claps and then plants a big kiss on her head, leaving a piece of smushed strawberry in her hair.
The waitress returns with a coffee pot and offers the woman a refill.
“You’re a wonderful mom,” the waitress says with a smile. “You can tell your children are very loved.”
The woman smiles widely as she pours a bit of cream into her coffee. “Thank you,” she says.
I once heard someone say that we should remember to catch the compliments—the kind words people say about us—and add them to a little mental box we keep somewhere safe. When we feel low, we can imagine opening the box and revisiting these uplifting words.
I watch the woman leave the restaurant with her children’s small hands clasped in hers. She looks toward the waitress and waves goodbye, saying, “Thank you so much for everything!”
Perhaps the complimentary breakfast offered her something to-go after all—a few uplifting words to catch and tuck away in a mental box kept somewhere safe.
Complimentary words taken away from a complimentary breakfast.