Blessings
>> Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Myrtle: This is a nice restaurant. I'm glad we made reservations.
Isabel: Yes. It looks like a good crowd.
Myrtle: Think of all the clean kitchens at the end of the day.
Isabel: It's a nice change. This is a good booth.
They take their coats off and settle into the booth, while the
waitress takes their orders.
Myrtle: Look at that young mother across the aisle with her two
little towheaded girls. Aren't they adorable?
Myrtle observed the small family and noticed the girls were probably
around six and nine years old. Their shirts had holes at the elbows.
Their sneakers looked worn.
As Myrtle and Isabel enjoyed their dinner with all the fixings,
occasionally Myrtle would glance over at the family. The mother
seemed to eat very little, yet she made sure her girls ate all they wanted.
During one glance, Myrtle saw the mother slip several dinner rolls
into her purse.
Isabel and Myrtle felt stuffed after eating only half of what was on their
plates. They were both old and couldn't eat as much as they used to.
They ordered desserts to take with them. They gathered their coats and
the dessert boxes and made their way to the checkout counter. Myrtle
looked back at the young family while Isabel paid their bill. Isabel walked
to the restaurant entrance assuming Myrtle was right behind her. But
Myrtle hung back. She fished in her wallet at the checkout counter. She
spoke to the host while motioning to the young family, who were, at that very moment getting up from their table. Myrtle placed a bill on the counter, hesitated but a second, and placed another bill on top of the first. She smiled at the host, and quickly, for an eighty year old, joined Isabel, who had been watching her from the doorway.
Myrtle and Isabel had walked along the sidewalk maybe forty feet when they heard voices and running feet approaching them. They turned to find the mother and the two little girls stopping next to them.
Young Mother: Thank you very much. Bless you for your generosity. Paying for our meal was a gift from God. But the extra...
She began crying.
Two girls in unison: Thank you!
Myrtle: Happy Thanksgiving.
And with that, Myrtle handed her dessert box to the younger girl. Isabel
followed suit giving her dessert to the older girl.
Younger Girl: You're those people Mama told us about.
Myrtle: Oh?
Younger Girl: Yes. People who leave love footprints on your heart. Thank you.
Myrtle was speechless, and just smiled at the children. She and Isabel had to turn and continue walking because tears were welling up in their eyes too.
