"It's All Right, Sweetie" (another moment of Grace)

My timing must be perfect on Tuesdays for my lunch-and-reading time to be what I want it to be at the nearby cafeteria. I leave work at 11:00am and walk through the doors of the restaurant at 11:08am. 99% of the time, there is no one in line in front of me.

The 1% happened last Tuesday. Four elderly ladies and one elderly man were in front of me. They moved ever-so-slowly, choosing their salads, their meats and the vegetables deliberately and carefully. Two of the ladies changed their minds several times. My lunch hour was ticking away and I must admit, I found myself becoming impatient with them. Then it happened. The gentleman reached out for his ticket from the cashier and knocked his iced tea over. His fish and vegetables were covered with iced tea. His cloth napkin was soaked. The tea that didn’t find its way onto his tray fell into puddles on floor.

He began to apologize … over and over and over again. The look on his face was that of distress. The cashier softly said, “It’s OK. We will get you another plate.” Again he apologized. “I can eat the fish. The tea won’t hurt it. And the green beans, I can eat them. My napkin isn’t very wet. I can use it. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I made such a mess.” The cashier smiled and said, “Honey, let me have your tray. She turned and asked someone to fix another plate of food for him. Again, he apologized … over and over and over again. Still his face was a mixture of sadness and distress. The new tray of food was brought to him. He tried to apologize once more.

It was then when I saw something mysteriously beautiful. The cashier leaned forward, looked directly into his eyes, gently touched the man’s face and said, “It’s all right. It’s all right, Sweetie.” His aged face took on another appearance, almost as if he was a little boy again. His eyes sparkled. Perhaps, just for a moment, he remembered his mother’s gentle touch and heard her loving whisper, as in his childhood, “It’s all right. It’s all right, Sweetie.”

My impatience left me for I had witnessed yet another moment of grace.