05/20/2024
On Saturday while sitting at the gas station for 7 hours waiting on AAA to send a tow truck we decided to go get something to eat... we wanted a sit down restaurant so we could stretch out after being in the car waiting for so long so we went to Longhorn Steakhouse about a mile away...
Larry and I typically order something to share as neither of us can eat an entire meal so we decided on the 12 oz Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast with Bacon Mac and Cheese and Caesar Salad. When the salad came Larry and I ate that along with some of the complimentary bread so when the food came I really wasn't hungry anymore, although I sampled the food when it arrived. I realized SOMETHING had onions in it even though we had asked specifically if there were onions in the dish... we ended up trading out the mac and cheese for a baked potato with sour cream and cheese. After a few bites we asked for a To-Go box so we could take home what was left (Mikey would eat it) . which was almost a complete meal. 2 6oz portions of chicken, a large loaded baked potato and half a loaf of bread... (I don't like waste so we took the complimentary bread)
Once we returned to the gas station to continue our vigil for the ever elusive tow truck I looked to my left and there was a VERY SKINNY man with a large back pack and a flash light sitting there... He was not "asking" for anything.. just resting in the area before heading back to where he was staying I assume...He had a clear plastic cup with what looked like water in it that he was drinking from. He was OBVIOUSLY un-housed so I asked Larry to walk over and ask him if he would like our leftovers... Everyone offered theirs to Larry to offer up to give him a choice... So Larry got out of the car, walked over and sat down beside him... The man looked shocked at that... When offered the man said he would LOVE to have a plate and chose the chicken breast so Larry came back and got it and along with some plastic utensils my mom keeps in her car just for situations like this, Larry carried everything back over to him and gave it to him and let him know he was not alone... Larry asked him if he wanted company while he ate but the guy said he was going to take it back to "where he was staying and share it"...
The lesson in all this is "We never know someones situation and it never hurts to be kind, considerate and compassionate." My parents raised us to ALWAYS give because there is ALWAYS someone who is less fortunate than yourself...
I raised my children with the same lesson and as a result my mom, Emily and I all had the same idea of giving away our food to him at the exact same time... Kevin and Larry were both ready to go sit with him as he ate and Leilani and Emily as the only other leftover owners were also offering up their plates....
I felt sorry for myself because we had to wait all day and in the end we were EXACTLY where we were supposed to be, at the exact time we were supposed to be there it was a lesson in GRATITUDE........ Be grateful for every single situation... you never know when your circumstances are being aligned for a better purpose.... Thank you mom and dad for the life lessons in COMPASSION, EMPATHY and AWARENESS and GRATITUDE....
Edit... I am NOT sharing this to get accolades or a pat on the back.... Just as a reminder that it is SO EASY to be KIND and COMPASSIONATE and I would REALLY LOVE to see EVERYONE treating other human beings like this, we could cause an avalanche of reciprocal kindness.... Attached is a stock photo of what the man looked like for the algorithm
