Serving with respect...

I'm reading the book " How Starbucks Saved My Life" by Michael Gates Gill....he was a very rich guy that lost everything and found a lot. One of the things Mike gained working at Starbucks, was new found pleasure in serving.

I heard about this book while sitting in the car listening to a local radio show on WHAS. I was waiting for Dick while he was in the bank paying off his Expedition...getting our affairs in order. I was having a down day and switched on the radio to maybe find some happy music. Instead I heard this very kind man's voice saying...."Leap out in faith, move forward in faith, serve others, treat others with respect, put your hand in your heart". The nice guy with the soothing voice, went on to say, " Live in peace, the external things are not important, look inside your own heart and say thank you God for today".

Those words were just what the doctor ordered for me...I bought the book.

This is a picture of my Mother-in-law, Bea when she was in her eighties.

Bea was a golfer, artist, Women's Club devotee. The happiest I ever saw her was when she was serving for The Special Olympics....her eyes would shine so brightly and the sandwiches she made and served them were perfect.

I'm so glad I have this memory of her.

While reading the book, I also have been thinking a lot about respect. Mike found that Starbucks expects all employees (he calls them partners) treat each other and their clients with respect, always, no matter what or when. Respect helped Mike change his life. He was down and out, older, hard of hearing, new and out of place, but treated with respect. This made him in return treat others with respect...something he had not always done.

I'm really going to be working on myself to look for more ways to serve and to stop discounting people and work on the respect word. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" I hope I can do that on my own and not have to get a job at Starbucks...."Double Tall No Whip Mocha"..." Grande Chocolate Chip Fappuccino ", "Venti Skinny Caramel Latte"....yikes!! You go Michael Gates Gill, you go!!