Wednesday Regulars

I have been hostessing at a restaurant since September. One of my jobs is greeting people at the door and helping them to a booth or table, whichever they may prefer. "The costumer is always right" so sometimes finding the right seat for a person can be challenging or interesting. Some costumers don't care, and will sit almost anywhere you please. While others have a specific booth or table they MUST have or prefer. Often these people are "regulars" as we call them. They come in often, weekly or even daily. I recognize them and usually remember if they prefer a booth to a table and which section they like to sit in. I know many of their names and some of them call me by mine, we visit a little and joke around sometimes.

One of these "regulars" is a couple who come every Wednesday. They ask to sit in "Jane's" section. They, especially the lady, are good friends with "Jane" and they talk and talk while "Jane" waits on their table and in-between her other tables. The couple's names are "Cole" and "Anne". So for eight months now I have been greeting and seating this specific couple. I always thought it was a little strange that every week "Anne" explained to me that they must sit in "Jane's" section. As if I couldn't remember from the week before.

So this Wednesday after seating them in "Jane's" section I was cleaning a nearby booth when "Anne" says to me. "You're name is Susie?" "Yes." "I have a niece named Suzie" she says. So we begin to talk a little. She complements me on my eye color and asks me if I live in town, she explains to me again how they are friends of "Jane's" and come to see her every week. She asks how often I work. Then comes the question. “How long have you been working here?" and I say "Since September." And then she and I realize that I have been greeting and seating her every week for the past eight months and she never noticed me! She laughs and apologizes saying "This just goes to show how much I pay attention!" I laugh and tell her its fine. But as I'm folding silverware later I wonder how you could see someone every week for months and not even notice them. Obviously this nice friendly lady overlooked me for months. I could have been offended and maybe I was a little at first, but then I wonder if perhaps I have done the same thing. I am sure that somewhere at sometime I failed to notice someone, or give them even that little attention that they as a human beings deserve. I am a child of God, who has Jesus Christ in her. It's my job to be a light to every person I meet or come across. I know that that light is shown in my daily walk, but it is also shown in a more specific and personal level. In the way I treat people and what I say to them. Now that I've had the experience of being so easily overlooked, even in this simple and amusing way, I know how unintentionally it can be done. So I'm beginning to think and be on the lookout so that I don't overlook someone. Because you never can know…..