Always tip the waitress

If there is one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s this: I believe in always tipping the waitress.

One early morning, my grandpa and I went to Ihop; he ordered his usual breakfast of bacon, hash browns, eggs, and pancakes. And I of course sat looking at the menu for a good 15 minutes before finally making up my mind. It was a typical morning of me and my grandpa going to breakfast together.

It was that morning I saw her. A waitress who looked to be in her late 30′s, dark hair, brown eyes and an attitude that could cheer even the saddest of people. But despite her ordinary appearance and cheerful attitude, I couldn’t help but notice the wrinkles on her face, the messiness of her hair, and the tiredness in her eyes.

As breakfast went on, my curiosity eventually got the better of me and I decided to ask the questions anyone ask to get to know someone, “Where are you from,” “Do you have any kids,” “What is it like to work at Ihop,” and so on. The waitress of course answered all of my questions.

I learned something that morning that to most might seem trivial; I’m not the only one in this world. There are millions of us in this world and we all have our own life and our own problems. This waitress helped me see that.

The waitress woke up early every morning. She drove an hour to work each day. She did this for her four kids who depended on her and only her to take care of them. She had no husband and she had no help. The only person she had to depend on was herself.

After my grandpa and I finished our breakfast and proceeded to leave, I noticed he left a generous tip. As my grandpa turned to walk out of the restaurant, I looked in my purse and grabbed all the cash I had; it was five dollars. It was then I turned back to the table and left the five-dollar bill.

It’s almost a silly conclusion; to realize we are all made up of one planet and each have our own lives. However, it doesn’t make it any less true. So whenever you’re in a restaurant and you meet a waitress, take a moment to reflect on that person and think of all the troubles and hard times that person has endured and leave a generous tip.