Sometimes I really believe that an entire life is merely a test. Every person is presented with so many obstacles to over come it would be a no brainer. A few days ago I was presented by one potential test that may not appear to be anything special at all.
It was near 6:00 on a Friday afternoon. It was fairly busy seeing as everyone had recovered from their drunk stupors of the days before. Not a single customer wore a smile, and their irritation boiled over in a way that all your built up energy immediately evaporated and all you were capable of was a weak smile and quiet thank yous as you hurriedly typed in their order. Perhaps this was why I was amazed when a women arrived with two children who were very giggly and enjoyed pointing out our cookies and anything else that amused their little minds. Their mother was very friendly and joked around with me as I recommended our hot chocolates and a mocha she may enjoy. I punched in their order, and they moved along. A couple tens of minutes later, their father arrived all smiles. I couldn't help but watch as he hugged both his kids in earnest and kissed his happy wife as he asked how their day had gone and relayed how wonderful his had been. As they hurried back to their tables, he came up to the register beaming in a way that I had not seen all day.
He smiled at me and gesturing towards his family said, "That's my family. They're goofy. I love them."
And I believed him. While he said this, you could hear his kids giggling wildly and his wife shushing them with a repressed laugh. You could really feel how much love this family possessed. It's almost hard to explain, but it was nearly rolling off of them in infectious waves. The whole cafe seemed much brighter and my night was suddenly getting much better. As I put in his order, the man leaned in close and presented me with a two dollar bill.
"Here. A two dollar bill for goodluck!" He told me as he went to get his drink, never dropping his smile.
I took it immiediately and thanked him. I was amazed with myself in how quickly I accepted the two dollar bill. Previously, I had been given a five dollar bill for pointing out a serious issue in where a large family had payed a large portion more than they should have, and they felt the need to reward me for my honesty. I feel uneasy about excepting it and asked many times if they were sure and made an uncomfortable motion of gratitude. Another time a regular costumer gave me a five dollar bill as a Christmas present, one that I again made sure to quickly question. But for some reason, I didn't question the two dollar bill and took it quickly.
After the man recieved his coffee, he said one more thing, "Now don't spend it. It's for luck now."
He left me with one final wink and finally joined his lovely family.
It is in these instenses where I believe I am being tested, and I tend to take the above situation very seriously. Here I saw a man who appeared to be blissfully happy, living the perfect life, everything he had every wanted. Everything that I want for myself. He passed me a token. One that he told me not to spend. One that would give me luck. And I believe him. That two dollar bill will never be spent ever, it will forever be my lucky two dollar bill because it was given to me by a man that was truely happy. A tale that only could exsist in a fairytale. I believe this man had something to teach me. There is something to be gained by his lesson, and I am eager to know.
I could have spent that two dollar bill, but I believe that I would have been spending away a knowledge I hope to understand, a chance to appreciate the finer things in life rather than the greed of money. In spending that two dollar bill, I would have been putting a need for money and power above love and family. And in that I have learned. And in that I believe I have passed the test.
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This was such a beautiful instance of the faith I have in people and the world. In reality, my optimism for human nature makes me a very tired person all the time because people will always have substantial shortcomings in regard to judgment or whatever, so I'm always disappointed, regardless of how well I typically think of mankind. I feel like that 2 dollar bill embodies my sense of optimism in the world... that I don't have to witness it every single second of every single day... I just need a reminder that things are not always as bad as people would have me believe.
ReplyDeleteYou are a flying-colors test-taker, aren't you, Sophie?
Thanks for the other comment, too, by the way. ^_^
I was just talking to some of my closest Hamline friends about exactly that, and then I read your comment, and was like, "Oh! Oh! I totally just talked about this, and she's totally right!"
It was exciting.