I had planned to make a simple, one-sentence post for Good News Monday: Hockey is back!
Then I saw this story and realized this is why I started
Good News Monday. To shine a spotlight on what is good in this world. The good
seems so much better when it’s lined up side-by-side with glaring ignorance.
In Houston, Texas, a waiter was happily serving some repeat customers
— a family that happens to include a child with Down syndrome. According to the
article, the boy was not misbehaving or causing a scene, yet a family at an
adjacent table was uncomfortable just being nearby. They moved to another
table, which apparently wasn’t enough. They continued saying hurtful things
about the child and that just pushed the waiter as far as he could go. At the
risk of losing his job, he refused to serve the party of idiots.
When I first read this story it made me mad (as I’m sure
many of you are right now). I would have enjoyed being the restaurant manager so
I could support the waiter and throw those fools right out the door. After a
little more thought, I didn’t feel mad any longer. I just felt sorry for them. Perhaps
they have never had a developmentally challenged child in their family. If some
day that changed, perhaps there would be an epiphany and they would realize
that all children bring joy to their family in one way or another. Then again,
maybe they wouldn’t. Maybe they’re simply cold-hearted.
One paragraph is already too much space allotted to those losers. Let’s recognize that the good news in this story is a person
who truly cares about others. He understands that all people have dignity. Most
importantly, he’s willing to turn his principles into actions.
