The Chickfila Way

This morning I found myself at Chickfila on North Monroe Street, Tallahassee Florida, witnessing something beautiful.

This morning I decided to go to Chickfila before class. I convinced myself it was a reward for the last day of classes. I walked in and went right to the bathroom. In there was an older black woman washing her hands. She washed her hands for a solid five minutes. As I waited to wash my hands after her, I noticed there was something off about her. Thought nothing of it. As she dried her hands she rambled to me about "kids these days" and that it was "a terrible world with these school shootings." I agreed, simply because it is terrible.

I dried my hands before she was done and went to place my order. As I sat down at the table I heard the staff complimenting her, and telling her that they liked her shirt. She was wearing an oversized yellow t-shirt with SpongeBob on it.

They doted on her, showing her love and kindness. Kindness I'm sure she doesn't always receive. Her face when they handed her an icedream cone was priceless. My heart broke in that moment. I could see other customers looking at her as though she wasn't human. But she is human, that woman has a family, or someone somewhere that loves her. She has dreams, and hopes for a better future. I know that because she shared with me in the bathroom.

I know first hand that Chickfila has their own set of rules and ways that they do things. It's often referred to as "the Chickfila way" as employees. But this wasn't just the Chickfila way, it was above and beyond. It was love, it was kindness, and it was beautiful.