Brighten Your Day

This happened around November of 2015 when I (21 at the time) was working as a front desk clerk at a local hotel. It was the night shift and I was the only one working the desk at the time while one of my managers was in the back room. It was late when an elderly man came through the front doors to ask for a room. After going through the regular protocol for getting him checked in, he told me his story.

He and his wife had come up into my hometown for a vacation, but his wife had a medical emergency and was taken to the nearby hospital. He didn't want to cut the trip short and make the long drive to his hometown again, so he figured he'd spend a few nights at the hotel I was working at just so he'd be that much closer to find out the outcome of his wife's situation. As I'm talking to him, he told me he was a veteran from Vietnam and he started to reminisce about his time in the service, talking about his wartime friends and the bonds they'd built even during that hard time.

I was touched by this and kept talking to him about his experiences. As we talked, I stepped into the backroom to place an order for a pizza from a local pizzeria that was open late. I even offered to get the gentleman a drink from the vending machine, to which he accepted. When the food was delivered to the front desk, the man started to excuse himself, claiming he didn't want to interrupt my meal. That was when I told him that the meal was for him. He started to cry because of the fact for the first time since his wife, someone extended a hand of generosity to him. He then talked about how Vietnam soldiers weren't treated the best when they came back to American soil and that further moved me.

When it came time for him to go to his hotel room, I followed behind him with his bags. He tried to tell me I didn't have to. I insisted, quoting that when I was growing up, I was taught to one, respect my elders and two, offer to lend a helping hand wherever I could, because a small act of kindness would go a long way. The veteran thanked me profusely for being so kind to him. I accepted and wished him a good night and a healthy recovery to his wife. The next day, I went home feeling like the most accomplished individual, knowing I'd made a difference in someone's life.