Last year I shared the secret to getting a good tip. Today’s restaurant lesson is about making friends.
When Marcus and I went out to lunch, we went to a spot where you could begin to call us “regulars.” The ritual is this: we sit, we decide what we want, we order, we take out our computers, I work on whatever I’m working on and Marcus sets up his IPad and headphones and works on whatever he’s working on.
Today during the eating portion of our lunch, as the waitress was refilling my coffee, she leaned a bit closer to me and whispered, “Is he your son?”
“Yes,” I obviously replied.
“He’s adorable.” She said.
I smiled at him and nodded, “That’s true. He is adorable.” I probably laughed a little at this point, because I do that.
She stepped away and a look of discomfort crossed Marcus’ face. He mumbled something about a joke. For the record, Marcus does not like being called cute, for example, because he thinks that term is for children. Adults – guys – are not called cute as far as he’s concerned. I expect adorable may also fall into that category. Or perhaps worse, did he think we were making fun of him?
“No,” I told him, “We were not making a joke.” I rambled then a bit, having some difficulty explaining the conversation. So I decided to sum it up instead with, “She was just saying that she is your friend.”
Those were the magic words. A light above his head, “Oh. Friend.” That’s something Marcus can get behind. So then we were good. But then we got better because the next time the waitress came by Marcus looked up at her and put out his hand, she took it, and he said, “Thank you for being my friend.”
I urge you to take a moment and capture that picture in your mind. A waitress nearing the end of her shift, Marcus with hand extended and his voice and face showing true sincerity for her extension of friendship.“We are all your friends here,” she replied, “But if we’re friends, we need to know your name.”
“My name is Marcus.”
It’s hard to explain moments like these, my dialogue recreation does not do it justice, simple as it is, including the “Bye Marcus!” from more than one server as we headed out the door.
“Bye!” he called back.
“Have a great day!”
“You too!”
And there, dear reader, is Marcus’ lesson in making friends.
Yet another thing I envy about Marcus (and Josh) – the ability to make friends wherever they go and pure unadulterated joy they get from being a friend. <3
Oh, my. How wonderful. I bet he made that waitress’s day.
I think so, too. He does that. 🙂
So much is to be gleaned from this interaction! Thank you for sharing it.
What a cool story. She’s the kind of waitress who deserves a BIG tip! Thanks for sharing this story at the DifferentDream.com Tuesday link up.
That is so special. I’m glad she was a good waitress that took his hand. If I ever meet him in real life I won’t call him, “Cute”. He’s handsome, or a friend.
Excellent. 🙂
I love this madra! I have a hard time explaining some things to my son as he takes everything so literally. Simplification of the comment to say she is a friend was perfect. It also created a great interaction, which is by far the best thing that can happen during an outting.
Exactly. Thank you!
What a perfect reaction she had to his outreached hand. I can imagine the smile on his face. It’s a great lesson. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for coming by!
This is my first time to this blog and I am so glad I found it. I love that he would rather be called by his first name than be called adorable. A true young man, that’s for sure.
Yes. And we’re glad you’re here 🙂
What a beautiful memory! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks for coming by Erin!
Loved this story. As simple as this interaction was, it made a BIG difference to all involved. It’s so important to stop and think about how we interact with everyone we come into contact with. Thanks for this reminder to always be kind.