Above and Beyond

I know, I know... I've been writing too much about waitresses lately. Sue me, I eat out a lot!

Today was a true Floridian day. The lovely wife and I accompanied my in laws to the beach for a day of fun in the sun. The ocean was perfect, the salt water air impeccable and, nothing beats a big greasy fried fish meal after being out in the sun all day. Except maybe a big bottle of aloe vera.

For dinner, we went to a great seafood restaurant. Upon arrival, my father-in-law (who is a chemo patient), tore the skin on his right hand. It was a pretty good amount of blood since his skin is so thin from the treatments. We grabbed napkins and helped him clean up and apply pressure. Just as we were getting it under control, our waitress came to the table for our drink order. Before she could say a word, my father-in-law asked her for a Band Aid. The wound was covered, so she didn't have any idea how bad the bleeding was. When she brings back a normal sized Band Aid, we'd removed the napkin. Her eyes got big as dinner plates when she saw all the blood and said, "Hang on, I'll go get a bigger Band Aid."

She was back in a flash with not one, but two bandages to choose from. Without thinking, she tore them open and helped secure them on his hand. We thanked her up and down and she was totally gracious, always smiling and telling how she'd had a similar accident recently.

This young lady did everything right! She smiled, went outside (WAY OUTSIDE) of her job description, helped cover the wound, offered encouragement and smiled all the while.

When we left, we handed her a fat tip. And she deserved every penny of it. Just another day on the job? Maybe, but she's certainly not your typical server.

If you're at Blackbeard's at New Smyrna Beach and have Taylor for a waitress, be sure and tip her a little extra. She deserves it!