GOODNESS IN THE SEASON

 

My wife, Billie and I went out to a favorite Chinese buffet restaurant for lunch today and discovered that the goodness of people still exists.

Due to Billie’s problem with getting around with a titanium plate in one of her legs, I assist her in getting her meal from the many offerings.  We walk around with her holding my arm and she picking out the food she wants that I place on the plate that I am holding for her.  This is called “togetherness in old age.”  After choosing all she wants I escort her back to our table, get her seated and proceed to pick out my lunch.  We have done this routine many times.  But, today would turn out to be different.

After filling up my plate with the Chinese goodies I wanted I returned to our table to find Billie smiling from ear to ear and a look of disbelief on her face.  It seems the waitress had just advised us that one of the four young men, in their twenties, at another table had told her that he wanted to pay for our lunch.  My jaw dropped and I didn’t know what to think, because strangers don’t do that kind of thing.  At least not to my knowledge and experience.  But, I recovered in time to walk over to the other table and thank the young man for his kind gesture.  I asked the reason for this and all he would reply is, “because it seemed the right thing to do.”

Who says that young people don’t have respect for their elders?  Who says that there isn’t magic in the season?  And who says that goodness doesn’t exist for no other reason than being good?  I know differently.  And whether you celebrate Christmas, Channukah or Kwanza you have to know that there is goodness in the season.