The Spirit of Giving (what I learned at Burger King)

[DanceMentor]

My grandfather told me if you can be giving to others without thinking about what you will receive in return, the gratification and reward will be far more than you could ever imagine. I KNOW this is true.

The other day I had an interesting coincidence happen. I was at Burger King (of all places).

As one of the ladies in line was helping people, a large man came up and said, "How come my Whopper didn't come right off the broiler? I don't want something out of the drawer."

She explained that during the lunch rush, it is impossible to cook each person's burger flaming hot, but that he was still receiving a hot burger that was fresh.

He said, "Are you trying to give me an attitude?" She didn's say another word as he continued to tant (sp?) her. They finally gave him what I assume was a flame broiled whopper.

I could see that her job of trying to fullfill all of the orders quickly was not easy, and it made me angry this man was treating her in this way. When it was my turn to receive my order, I whispered to her that she was doing an incredible job, and how she handled the man perfectly. I gave her a $10 tip. She almost cried. I did too, because it filled me with joy to have the opportunity to "make her day".

As I went out to the car, lo and behold, there was a $10 bill on the ground!

There is a shortage of people in this World that understand how important it is to give of yourself without expecting something back. I beg of you...please...try to find something you can do to help others.

I assure you it's worth it!
(It's okay to start small...but please do start! The reward will be far more than you ever imagined!)

 

[LindyQuest]

I beg of you...please...try to find something you can do to help others.
I assure you it's worth it!
(It's okay to start small...but please do start! The reward will be far more than you ever imagined!)

That is an awesome story, DanceMentor! I thoroughly agree. Looking back, I can see too many opportunities that slipped by, when I could (or should) have done something nice for someone.

I have a story to share as well...My friend Carolyn is extremely generous. She gives of herself all the time: buying bags of food and delivering them house to house to people in need, buying Christmas presents for multiple needy families each year, buying plane/bus/train tickets for people who are stranded, sharing her home with strangers, even lending her car to strangers in need!

I asked her once how she can afford to do this all the time (she's a retired minister, and her husband is a band teacher). She told me that once she was sure she had overdrafted her account, so she called the bank. But to her suprise, the bank assured her that she had plenty of money in her account, actually about a thousand more than she thought she had. She told me that she just feels that as long as she's spending her money to help others, the money will be in her account to spend.

She's told me a few other stories like this as well (like the time she dropped her wallet in the parking lot before going into the mall, and after coming out four hours later, she found her wallet (money intact) in exactly the same place she dropped it!)

I only hope that I can make a positive difference for others as well!

 

[Genesius Redux]

You really do change people's day--and it has nothing to do with the money itself, just what it represents.

I was at a small diner with a friend, and the service was just wretched--our server was inattentive and not particularly enthused or friendly. We had a couple of sandwiches and coffee, but turned down dessert. The bill came to about $13. Usually a tip rewards good service, but on this occasion, it seemed to me that someone had to give the poor woman some recognition maybe just for showing up at work. I left her with $20, and when she came back with the change, we told her we didn't need change. She was floored. We went back to finishing our coffee, and a few minutes later our server was back with a couple of boxed pieces of key lime pie. We told her that we hadn't ordered any dessert, and she said she knew but the key lime pie was so good, we should just try it later.

If you figure that she had to put cash in the register for the pie, she was cutting pretty seriously into her tip--but it wasn't the money, it was the thought. For me, it was an extra 3 or 4 bucks, really nothing--but worth it as a gesture. People definitely respond to generosity.

Cheers,

Genesius

 

[DanceMentor]

I thought I would share my Grandfather's response to this post:

A lovely story, David, as were the replies. I have had so many blessed relationships and experiences over the years that I know changed my attitudes, my faith and many other facets of my life, and so enriched my life in many ways over the years. I won't try to remember specific experiences over my 85 years. I thank God every day for his many blessings, especially for the wonderful grandson he has given to us. May God continue to bless you in many ways as your years go by. Grandmother joins me in sending our love to you and Shelley.

 

[pygmalion]

:cry: That's so nice. Grandparents are a wonderful addition to one's life, and a blessing in themselves. 8)

 

[LindyQuest]

:cry: That's so nice. Grandparents are a wonderful addition to one's life, and a blessing in themselves. 8)

That's so true. My grandmother just passed away this Christmas, and there are so many things I wish I could have asked her, and so many things I wanted to tell her. I wish I would have listened more carefully to her many wonderful stories! It's funny, though, most of the time I don't feel like she's really gone, especially when I'm dancing. She always encouraged my love of dancing, and she told me tons of stories of how she'd work till 9:00 at night, then go dancing every night with the WWII soldiers until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, then get up at 6:00 and start all over again!

 

[pygmalion]

:cry: :cry: :cry:


I still miss my grandmom. She died ten years ago April 7. She was a brick, and a foundation of my emotional life. I miss her, but I am who I am because of her. :?

 

[Pacion]

DM, your granddad sounds lovely. I never really knew my grandparents :cry: they died a few years after I was born. But, I am getting an insight into what it could have been like with my nephews and my parents. They see them everyday and the younger one often stays over. My parents sound "so young" when he is there, the laughter and everything.