Writing on the Tablecloth

—— Rhea Zakich

I live in a senior residence where everyone eats together in a large dining room. The tables have white tablecloths but are also covered with white paper that can be quickly removed and replaced after a group leaves so that it is ready for the next group to be seated.

The young men and women servers, all dressed in black and white, do a tremendous job of seeing to it that all of our needs are met and that we enjoy our meals. They are willing to help a resident walk to the buffet without his/her cane, carry a plate to the table, pick up things that are dropped, and even cut our meat if we ask. Many of the residents have difficulty remembering the servers names since they all dress alike and are all about the same age, so any appreciation spoken is the usual thank you.

Occasionally, a resident will have a rough day and be a little demanding or crotchety with their server, but the server still assists with a smile and a gentle voice. I usually ask the servers their name and try to thank them when they pick up our dirty dishes. But one day it occurred to me to write a note of appreciation on the paper table cloth for this young girl to find after we left our table. I wrote, “Celeste, thank you for your excellent service. Your cheerful smile and joyful attitude brightened up the whole dining room today!”

The next day, Celeste came across the dining room to where I was sitting and said with glee, “Thank you for the wonderful note! I tore it off the table cloth and showed it to everyone in the kitchen! Then I took it home to show my mom!” And with eyes sparkling, she said in a softer voice, “I’m going to keep it.”

What a simple thing. It took 30 seconds to write the note but it made this young girl’s day (and maybe changed her life.

Since that day last week, I’ve written notes to several servers and notice whoever is sitting at our table overhears their delight at receiving a ‘thank you’ in writing.

Today, I was surprised to see on each table, a little yellow pencil sticking out of every small basket of crackers. I have no idea who caught the spirit but maybe there will be more writing on the tablecloths in the days to come. I hope so.

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