Spreading the Love

So I’ve been more conscious about trying to spread love these days. I have been in a couple situations lately where I found myself quickly judging folks. Yesterday, I was in Uncle Maddios, my second home/office. I saw a family I had met a few weeks ago when the kids were complaining about not having enough colors for their pizza pictures, so I went to my car and grabbed my box of colors/markers/pencils….the up side of being an academic coach is that your vehicle is also a school supply store. Well, the family was back and the mom was really going off on her kids. It was so awkward and upsetting that I put my head phones on to drown them out….I was up against a deadline and I was really getting angry about the way she was berating her son. I couldn’t block it out because it turned into verbal abuse. I consciously caught myself judging her and shifted to what could I do to support her. Without much thought I jumped up and walked closer to their table and asked the young man what grade he was ins. I then told her I was an academic coach and could provide some support if she was interested and handed her my business card. I kept asking her questions from across the restaurant and discovered that she is from Atlanta like myself, and she dropped that her family is staying in an extended stay hotel. We discussed ridiculous rent prices in the Northlake area, etc. Lesson reinforced….this felt so much better than judging her for being a “bad” parent. I quickly thought to myself, I have no idea what she is going through. It sounded like they are possibly experiencing the hardship of not having a stable residence as are many.
Tonight, I’m sitting in the same restaurant and a young black male walked in the restaurant. He looked so familiar so I stared a bit too long. I felt he noticed, so I asked him if he went to school in Atlanta and explained I was a high school teacher. He said he did wonder if he was doing something wrong. Gulp. Glad I said something. We laughed and then I figured out that he and his girlfriend had never eaten at this restaurant because they didn’t know you had to order up front. I gave food suggestions and smiled as I watched them kiss and make eyes at one another. Yes, I’m old. I decided to surprise them by paying for their dinner. They were grateful, and I went back to my “office” to work and they just walked back in the restaurant with these flowers. The precious young man said that he had only bought flowers once in his life and that was for his girlfriend, but they wanted to return the kind gesture.
Spread the love y’all and it comes right back. I love flowers by the way and I didn’t want to tell him I haven’t gotten them very often.
Add on: They just came back by my table and shared that if they see me here again, they will invite me to their wedding. The love keeps flowing.