Chris and I met two precious women in Opelika
A couple weeks ago, my husband and I went on a rare overnight trip, just the two of us. We were attending an event several hours away and entrusted our kiddos to a dear couple. I believe this was only the second time to do that in eight years. (And okay with me.)
It was unreal being able to complete a conversation and sit in comfortable silence. There were no interruptions or requests for snacks and things. Bitter and sweet, nonetheless.
You guys, I went crazy and ordered an iced coffee with my sandwich at Chick-fil-A. Whoa. Who am I even? My reasoning was that without the kids’ meals and such, I could perhaps splurge a bit. So silly. But literally how my brain works.
So while I was enjoying my classic CFA sandwich dripping with honey with my Honey, sitting nonchalantly at a 4-seater, Chris and I had the sweetest interactions with two precious dining room hostesses.
Miss Erline
We stopped for lunch in Opelika, Alabama, walked across the drive-through lanes (oh, I so dislike that unsafe setup…), and when we entered, the cutest little elderly lady in her red and grey hostess uniform was resting in a chair and greeting everyone walking in. Oh my stars, was she adorable. Every white hair of her bob was in place; she even had red lipstick on.
This was Miss Erline.
A little later, she greeted us at our table (remember the honeys and iced coffee splurge? I even think Chris got himself some sort of passionfruit beverage, too) and visited with us for a few minutes. She was simply precious.
At 94, she had been serving in that dining room for the past 20 years, she told us. (Are you doing the math?) I told her, “Hope I look as good as you when I am 94,” to which she responded, “Oh, you’ve already got me beat there.” [Um, not even close].
As we continued to chat, we discovered that her husband had passed 26 years ago, and she had started working after that. I was so curious what drives her to keep working–especially at her age. And as expected, she was one to keep busy.
Miss Erline shared how many kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and great-great-grandchildren she had. She has a whole bunch of family, and while spread out, there were some staying nearby to look out for her.
With only a hint of bothered emotion, Miss Erline mentioned having her license revoked just recently. I could sense she was still battling the hurt about it, and honestly, I respect that. I appreciated that she wasn’t sugar-coating anything or playing Pollyanna. Also, I imagine I’d feel the same if I ever reached her age.
Losing the freedom to drive her car, she said, “Feels like a death.” And although she’s had many high offers for her marquis, she refuses to sell it. Her logic was that anyone coming to see her would just drive her car instead of hiring a ride. Makes sense to me. She consoled herself with the thought that, instead of driving her own car, she could still “ride” in it. And she’s not wrong!
Miss Erline explained that her operator picks her up and brings her in each day. That speaks so highly of this operator to value this lovely woman, doesn’t it? After a few more moments of kind conversation, Miss Erline went on her way, greeting other customers warmly.
Miss Diane
Another beautiful character we met shortly after was Miss Diane. She came up to our table, calling me a “pretty lady” and declaring that Chris was “pleasing to the eyes.” To that, Chris said, “Oh! Well, we’ll definitely be back to this CFA!” Silly man.
But honestly, these meaningful interactions here were such a breath of fresh air.
At 75, Miss Diane joked about her children needing to go back to first grade and relearn math because they were unable to do addition or even multiplication–it was her way of objecting to a lack of more than a couple grandkids. The way she said it was hilarious. Then she shared that working at CFA allows her to buy gas and eggs. “And I like my eggs,” she said. (Honestly, same. Yum)
Maybe they didn’t, or maybe these little ladies did twist our arms to see pictures of our kiddos, but when looking at our three, Miss Diane said that Evvy is the “cream” to the cookie, sitting between two boys. How precious. Because, yes. And as is typical in this stage and age of life she tactfully asked if there was another little sister to the right of our youngest. Hah. Maybe one day.
Is it a lost art?
Is it just us, or are Chick-fil-A’s–or food service in general–not what they used to be? In our area, we had a favorite restaurant that we frequented mainly because of its sweet hostess. The interactions like we had with these sweet ladies are what keep us going back.
But these days, courtesy, quality service, and going the extra mile feels like a dying art. And it makes me so sad. I used to be on the other side, with the ones striving to give the best. But the best we are experiencing these days is just not the same. I do acknowledge that 2020 largely changed what those kinds of interactions look like. It’s a fact that I have to accept, I guess. I want my kids growing up witnessing, being a part of, and sharing warm interactions like these.
With that, I encourage you to notice those people who are faithfully serving from the heart. Those collecting your trays of wadded-up napkins and messy sauce have a story of their own. And a smile goes a long way.
Thanks for reading along!
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