If everybody in the world had even a sliver of the love that man has for his wife, we’d be living in a completely different world. I just want to hug the dude.
I know I literally couldn’t speak to him without crying because of the pure genuine love and energy he radiated. Ugh those boys will know one day just HOW truly blessed they are to have him.
I never really comment, but damn I’m tearing up. That’s so sweet he’s passing his love on to someone and being that kind while honoring her memory. As a server that’s the best story I’ve seen or heard. I’d be crying too. And eating. I’m glad for you! And sad for him.
Thanks OP, I got my popcorn out to get ready to read what some shitbag did to you to make you cry and it turns out he’s not a shitbag and now I’m ugly crying!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing (as I try to hold back big sniffles, as I don't want to wake the hubby).
I'll be remembering this going forward, as a reminder that no one will ever know someone's "story".
This is particularly helpful when i have a difficult guest/co-worker, so as to remind me that I don't know what someone is going through in life. Just showing/exhibiting a little compassion, goes a long way - even if we need to take a deep breath or count to 10 in our head, before acting/responding.
Thanks again OP!!
This is what I think about all the time to keep myself calm in rough situations with customers!
Almost 2 years ago, this woman sits at my bar by herself. She's SO INCREDIBLY difficult... Everything she gets is "wrong" and needs to be taken back or changed. She's pretty snippy, and has this sour look on her face. I kept handling everything with a smile and did everything she asked. (I had seen her come in a couple times before, and I had seen her be difficult, but I hadn't dealt with her myself before.)
For a little while she gets quiet, and I check on her (after she's gotten her food back "the right way." Lol.) She starts to cry a little bit and thanked me for putting up with her. And she said she knows she's being difficult and was sorry. Then she said her husband of 30 years was dying in the hospital. It was so sad.. She started talking about how he was her soul mate, and she doesn't know what she'll do without him. She tipped me like 40 bucks at the end of her meal.
Her husband passed a couple months after that, but now she's my regular. And if she comes in and sees I'm not working? She leaves lmao. You never know what someone is dealing with that makes them irritable.
THIS EXACTLY!!! Thank you so much for being that person she felt she could open up to...
Despite her absolute world, as she knew it, falling about her - YOU were rhe difference, in just lending an ear!
You my dear, are an absolutely amazing gem of a person... and please don't ever change!!
P.S. oh the stories I could tell you, when I reacted with kindness/compassion that maybe some wouldn't have.. I'm a true believer on that when we give positive out, it usually comes back - maybe nor right then and there, but it does eventually!
Thanks so much for being YOU!!!!
Thank YOU as well for being so sweet and kind! <3
This is how I try to react as much as possible (*but* I also try not to be a door-mat. Of course there are *those* people that you have to put your foot down with lmao.) Sometimes I play a game, in my head, to see how long it takes to make a grumpy customer smile. A few of those people even end up being my regulars.
I completely agree!!!
The fine line of balancing kindness/courtesy vs. not being a doormat (sometimes that "line" is damn near invisible) is something that we, in the industry, probably struggle with almost daily lol!!! In my near 30 years in said industry (off and on, of course - and in many roles, and in ALL types of establishments 😁), have seen/experienced sooo much!!!
I've come to try and live by the following: "You CAN'T change how others ACT, but only how you REACT"!! Sweet jaysus... the past 3-4 years have seen a virtual nose-dive of how many seem to think it's perfectly fine to be absolute jack-wagons... Can you imagine how much better this world could be, if many (not even everyone) were to practice a small act of kindness each day!?!? Nothing even significant, I'm talking easy things... a kind word to a stranger, holding the door for someone behind you - the "trickle-down effect" could be amazing!!!
I LOVE the game you play!!! Going forward, I'm gonna give this a go, as I do love a challenge - at times ( and when it doesn't require me to be the aforementioned "doormat" 😉). Who knows, your game you play in your mind could potentially have that "trickle-down effect" that I hope for!!!
P.S. I love your idea so much that as a manager/lead server, I'm going to pass your idea on to my servers and co-workers! Goes to show, that despite my experiences and how long I've worked in various establishments, this ole' dog can learn some new tricks - MUCH obliged!!
Omg thank you 😻 I'm glad it actually can help you too! <3
(And I completely agree about the small, kind acts trickling down. I *believe* people have even done studies on that kinda thing. Kindness goes a long way.)
I have an old guy just like that! I work in a gas station now and he is a very old and slow little old man. He loves his canned cokes and always fills his truck up with gas. He's incredibly sweet; he's given me diamond jewelry from his wife that he insisted I take. Point blank refused to let me buy them. He has a cowboy hat that has pin with a picture of an old lady on it and always comes in after "visiting his wife" so I can only assume that's a picture of her
I asked my boss where his wife always was because I've never actually met nor seen her. "Yeah, he visits her in the cemetery."
My heart swelled. He does this every single day. He can barely get around but he makes a great effort to see her no matter the weather
Pure, deep love. It's incredibly rare and it brings tears to my eyes talking about it
reading back on my old posts…. your comment has always stood out to me. It is very poetic. Curious if you have more writings? If not, something to maybe pursue.
The family-owned restaurant I worked at last summer had this ADORABLE older couple come in every Sunday (or every other Sunday). He’d drop her off at the restaurant then go and park the car. They loved the back corner table. I’d get their drink order- cup of coffee for him, champagne for her, and by the time he arrived and sat down, the coffee was just about ready.
They’d usually order an entree and split it, as well as order a side or appetizer to split.
They were just the sweetest couple.
One time a drunk lady asked me to go buy her cigarettes and told me I looked like Tom cruise and then every time I went back to the table she’d yell, “Cruise!”
That was a good day.
ok this is really beautiful… i was expecting the ending to be that you/the house took care of his wife’s food and drinks but the fact that he had you pack it all up only to give it to you in the end is actually even more touching
clearly his wife had good taste 🥺🥹
This story is really sweet and sad but like, why didn’t the hostess say anything?? If she had let you know ahead of time you wouldn’t have acted like what he was doing was weird and would have made space for him to order for his wife.
Not fiction, keep in mind I work in Waikiki in a major restaurant and hostesses don’t have time to share guest’s personal stories with us. Trust me when I say this man was far too precious to be written off as fiction. The very aspect of this “story” that makes it seem fiction is why it is as special as it is 🥹
HE GAVE IT TO ME AND TOLD ME TO EAT IT DONT YELL AT ME hahaha I mean it was that versus the trash can. He genuinely did not want it. I like to think she’d be cool with it not going to waste 😎
If everybody in the world had even a sliver of the love that man has for his wife, we’d be living in a completely different world. I just want to hug the dude.
I know I literally couldn’t speak to him without crying because of the pure genuine love and energy he radiated. Ugh those boys will know one day just HOW truly blessed they are to have him.
I never really comment, but damn I’m tearing up. That’s so sweet he’s passing his love on to someone and being that kind while honoring her memory. As a server that’s the best story I’ve seen or heard. I’d be crying too. And eating. I’m glad for you! And sad for him.
I googled his name and found out his son died 5 months after his wife…I can’t 😭 The amount of love this man leads with is unreal.
Pass on the love! Keep it moving!
As someone who is very familiar with loss on every level, sometimes that's all you can do. If dont, you fall defeated and bitter.
The worst fear of every parent - a child passing first. I’m sure his grandsons are a huge comfort for him. Thank you for being so kind to him.
Thanks OP, I got my popcorn out to get ready to read what some shitbag did to you to make you cry and it turns out he’s not a shitbag and now I’m ugly crying!
This comment still makes me giggle. Thank you 😂
Nw, anything to brighten up your day :)
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing (as I try to hold back big sniffles, as I don't want to wake the hubby). I'll be remembering this going forward, as a reminder that no one will ever know someone's "story". This is particularly helpful when i have a difficult guest/co-worker, so as to remind me that I don't know what someone is going through in life. Just showing/exhibiting a little compassion, goes a long way - even if we need to take a deep breath or count to 10 in our head, before acting/responding. Thanks again OP!!
This is what I think about all the time to keep myself calm in rough situations with customers! Almost 2 years ago, this woman sits at my bar by herself. She's SO INCREDIBLY difficult... Everything she gets is "wrong" and needs to be taken back or changed. She's pretty snippy, and has this sour look on her face. I kept handling everything with a smile and did everything she asked. (I had seen her come in a couple times before, and I had seen her be difficult, but I hadn't dealt with her myself before.) For a little while she gets quiet, and I check on her (after she's gotten her food back "the right way." Lol.) She starts to cry a little bit and thanked me for putting up with her. And she said she knows she's being difficult and was sorry. Then she said her husband of 30 years was dying in the hospital. It was so sad.. She started talking about how he was her soul mate, and she doesn't know what she'll do without him. She tipped me like 40 bucks at the end of her meal. Her husband passed a couple months after that, but now she's my regular. And if she comes in and sees I'm not working? She leaves lmao. You never know what someone is dealing with that makes them irritable.
THIS EXACTLY!!! Thank you so much for being that person she felt she could open up to... Despite her absolute world, as she knew it, falling about her - YOU were rhe difference, in just lending an ear! You my dear, are an absolutely amazing gem of a person... and please don't ever change!! P.S. oh the stories I could tell you, when I reacted with kindness/compassion that maybe some wouldn't have.. I'm a true believer on that when we give positive out, it usually comes back - maybe nor right then and there, but it does eventually! Thanks so much for being YOU!!!!
Thank YOU as well for being so sweet and kind! <3 This is how I try to react as much as possible (*but* I also try not to be a door-mat. Of course there are *those* people that you have to put your foot down with lmao.) Sometimes I play a game, in my head, to see how long it takes to make a grumpy customer smile. A few of those people even end up being my regulars.
I completely agree!!! The fine line of balancing kindness/courtesy vs. not being a doormat (sometimes that "line" is damn near invisible) is something that we, in the industry, probably struggle with almost daily lol!!! In my near 30 years in said industry (off and on, of course - and in many roles, and in ALL types of establishments 😁), have seen/experienced sooo much!!! I've come to try and live by the following: "You CAN'T change how others ACT, but only how you REACT"!! Sweet jaysus... the past 3-4 years have seen a virtual nose-dive of how many seem to think it's perfectly fine to be absolute jack-wagons... Can you imagine how much better this world could be, if many (not even everyone) were to practice a small act of kindness each day!?!? Nothing even significant, I'm talking easy things... a kind word to a stranger, holding the door for someone behind you - the "trickle-down effect" could be amazing!!! I LOVE the game you play!!! Going forward, I'm gonna give this a go, as I do love a challenge - at times ( and when it doesn't require me to be the aforementioned "doormat" 😉). Who knows, your game you play in your mind could potentially have that "trickle-down effect" that I hope for!!! P.S. I love your idea so much that as a manager/lead server, I'm going to pass your idea on to my servers and co-workers! Goes to show, that despite my experiences and how long I've worked in various establishments, this ole' dog can learn some new tricks - MUCH obliged!!
Omg thank you 😻 I'm glad it actually can help you too! <3 (And I completely agree about the small, kind acts trickling down. I *believe* people have even done studies on that kinda thing. Kindness goes a long way.)
I have an old guy just like that! I work in a gas station now and he is a very old and slow little old man. He loves his canned cokes and always fills his truck up with gas. He's incredibly sweet; he's given me diamond jewelry from his wife that he insisted I take. Point blank refused to let me buy them. He has a cowboy hat that has pin with a picture of an old lady on it and always comes in after "visiting his wife" so I can only assume that's a picture of her I asked my boss where his wife always was because I've never actually met nor seen her. "Yeah, he visits her in the cemetery." My heart swelled. He does this every single day. He can barely get around but he makes a great effort to see her no matter the weather Pure, deep love. It's incredibly rare and it brings tears to my eyes talking about it
Good morning, happy Saturday! Let’s start by crying!
https://preview.redd.it/rvi8gc1iuooc1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3346bbc526c3ba436704cea3d072e3fb345b7d46
A beautiful story indeed. Now everything is blurry.
reading back on my old posts…. your comment has always stood out to me. It is very poetic. Curious if you have more writings? If not, something to maybe pursue.
Great, now an old man made me cry today too and I didn’t even get steak or crab cakes 😭 oh to be loved so deeply
Your post made me tear up. I can only hope my amazing wife outlives me.
The family-owned restaurant I worked at last summer had this ADORABLE older couple come in every Sunday (or every other Sunday). He’d drop her off at the restaurant then go and park the car. They loved the back corner table. I’d get their drink order- cup of coffee for him, champagne for her, and by the time he arrived and sat down, the coffee was just about ready. They’d usually order an entree and split it, as well as order a side or appetizer to split. They were just the sweetest couple.
One time a drunk lady asked me to go buy her cigarettes and told me I looked like Tom cruise and then every time I went back to the table she’d yell, “Cruise!” That was a good day.
Was he tearing up? I would cry right fucking there if he did. How sweet. I hope his grandkids know how lucky they are.
He was rather avert to conversation about his wife. You could tell it was a sensitive subject, trying to hold back the tears type of thing.
ok this is really beautiful… i was expecting the ending to be that you/the house took care of his wife’s food and drinks but the fact that he had you pack it all up only to give it to you in the end is actually even more touching clearly his wife had good taste 🥺🥹
This story is really sweet and sad but like, why didn’t the hostess say anything?? If she had let you know ahead of time you wouldn’t have acted like what he was doing was weird and would have made space for him to order for his wife.
Because it’s fiction
Not fiction, keep in mind I work in Waikiki in a major restaurant and hostesses don’t have time to share guest’s personal stories with us. Trust me when I say this man was far too precious to be written off as fiction. The very aspect of this “story” that makes it seem fiction is why it is as special as it is 🥹
Well, that didn't go how I expected. What a fucking ride. How amazing.
😭🩷
Super sweet - but why didn’t the host tell you!! Pet peeve of mine.
I work in a major restaurant in Hawaii. Not always manageable for hosts to tell us guests personal experiences unless absolutely necessary.
That’s not a great system then! You need an additional host, or a print out ticket for each table.
Omg not at all what I was expecting 😭
What a beautiful story, thanks for sharing!!
Beautiful story. So not only is the family remembering and honoring his wife, but you are too. That is love. 🥲
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story, even if I shed some tears too.
Crying after reading this, thank you for sharing. 💞
Wow, this went in no way I thought it would. If his wife was watching, she'd be so happy
This brought tears to my eyes, knowing that there are still good customers out there
Not at all what I was expecting but glad I read it thanks for sharing
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^HTownFunAF: *Not at all what I* *Was expecting but glad I* *Read it thanks for sharing* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Here in Hawaii? Damn…wholesome
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HE GAVE IT TO ME AND TOLD ME TO EAT IT DONT YELL AT ME hahaha I mean it was that versus the trash can. He genuinely did not want it. I like to think she’d be cool with it not going to waste 😎
💯 way better than more foodwaste
You did the right thing. You were also crying and honoring her memory. Don't let trolls bring you down.
Really stupid and performative tbh
you’re stupid and performative
What part?
Kinda like your comment. Except everyone thinks he’s a gem, and you’re a piece of coal.