Hanohano – Dignity

A middle-aged man walked into a local diner salivating at the smell of cooking hash browns and the sounds of crispy bacon on the skillet. He was hungry and had not eaten a full meal in days. You see, he had taken ill a few months back and lost his job as a salesman. Times were tough and the man had not been able to secure another job.

As he approached the table where he intended to sit, he knew that he had no money in his wallet to pay for his breakfast. He cautiously sat down anyway and contemplated his next move. Embarrassed that he was in this position he stalled and drank his second cup of coffee.

The waiter asked, “Sir, have you decided on your meal this morning?” The man nodded his head shyly and placed his order knowing full well he had no idea how he was going to pay. Shortly thereafter, his meal arrived. He was so ashamed that he was actually eating food in a restaurant with no means to pay for his meal. He gobbled it up anyway and it felt good to have a warm meal in his stomach.

As it came time to pay for his meal, he stalled again drinking yet another cup of coffee. All along, the restaurant manager, who was a very kind man, noticed the man’s reluctance to pay his bill. The manager of the restaurant was a humble gentle-hearted man who often times stopped by the tables of families in the morning to say hello. The manager had a very keen intuition and knew this man was struggling and didn’t have the means to settle the bill that morning. Right before the waiter placed the bill on the man’s table, the manager walked past the man sitting at the table and he cleverly dropped a twenty dollar bill on the floor next to him. The man humbly picked up the twenty dollar bill and looked to see if the manager had noticed. It was as if the manager knew the man was in need and was there to fill it but with no expectations. With great appreciation for the kind manager’s act, the man paid for his meal with the twenty dollar bill he collected from the floor in front of him.

Several years later, the restaurant was sold and re-opened after renovations. They hired a humble, gentle manager who loved the smell of hash browns cooking and the sounds of crispy bacon on the skillet. Some days the restaurant would have large families visit them who were hungry and in need of help. Often, these families were the recipient of a one hundred dollar bill that magically showed up at their feet in the local diner.

You see, the manager had been in this position before. He was familiar with not having the ability to pay for his meal and understood the blessing he received that morning years ago. The kind-hearted manager blessed many families in need at the local diner and was known to bless others by his acts of generosity while allowing others to hold on to their dignity all along.

Kahu Pomaika`i • www.hawaiianalohablessings.com • hawaiianalohablessings@gmail.com•(808)222.5470