It's Always the Small Things

Just as much as the kindnesses of one can heal brokenness, the thoughtless words of another can break a heart to pieces. 

I wait on people. It's what I do. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again. Nothing is going to change in that for a long time. 

Today, we were short-handed. No big deal, really. The girls and I handled it, busy though we were. We have good heads on our shoulders and can handle a bit of stress and multitasking. I was waiting on 10 tables for a good part of lunch, to give you an idea. Usually, we do half that. 

It was fine--a good day as days go. Sure, we were breathing hard and had to run to keep up, but a little bit of exertion isn't bad for anyone's body or brain. I actually enjoyed it. 

Once the rush calmed down I started on dishes. I was up to my elbows in greasy dishwater having mostly cleared out what was left of the lunchtime dishes when a co-worker came down on me across the counter. 

"I don't know what you've been doing for the past hour," she said as she waved the daily list at me, noting that I hadn't completed a single item on it, "but you need to get to work." 

I paused for a second, took a breath, and then called out her name. She stopped and looked at me. I said, "I have been working. This whole time. I have been waiting tables, making shakes, rinsing out the recyclables that were left behind the counter, doing dishes. I have been working." Then I stopped and let her go. Once she was gone I cried. 

I'm not allowed to cry at work. Emotions aren't allowed to come into the workplace. But I didn't care at that point. I cried into the last of the dishwater as it went down the drain, and I cried in the napkins as I refilled them. You couldn't tell tears from rain as I took out the trash or from mop water as I cleaned the floor. 

Honestly, what she says doesn't change anything. I am still going to work just as much and as hard as I do. I guess what I want to say with this is, don't only try to do good things as I asked you yesterday, but also realize that each word you say carries weight. Sometimes you don't know the story behind why--why a person is crying, why they didn't "do" as much as they should have, why . . . why anything. 

Please, for the good of the world and the hearts of the broken people in it, take a minute to think about your words. Small things have such a huge impact. It's always the small things.