Joshua had a great time at Therapeutic Recreation last week. On Tuesday, they loaded up the vans at the TR Center, and headed down to the town where my in-laws live. They usually make this trip once a year, and the FRIENDS all get so excited to see Mammaw Jack. She tries to come eat lunch with them if she can.
First stop was the Alligator Farm. The FRIENDS aren't all that interested in the alligators and snakes...they are more interested in the little fuzzy animals they have there.
But, let's be honest...the MAIN reason the FRIENDS love this trip...is that they get to eat at Purple Cow.
I don't know if you have Purple Cow restaurants where you live, but we have them in several places all over the state. Purple Cow restaurants serve burgers and other sandwiches, but they are best known for their ice-cream desserts...especially their "purple" vanilla milkshakes. Every time the FRIENDS go to this particular Purple Cow restaurant...they get so excited!
And Mammaw Jack was meeting them there.
They all were seated and ordered, and everyone was enjoying their food. At some point during the lunch, one of the FRIENDS told the server that it was his birthday.
Except it was not his birthday.
But the entire wait-staff came out with singing and all the hoop-lah...and a free dessert.
When the TR Director, Ms. Sherrie, saw what was going on, she came over to that particular table to talk to the FRIENDS. There were so many of them that they were spread out at several different tables.
ANYWAY, according to Joshua, she talked to all the FRIENDS, and told them that they can't tell people at restaurants that it's their birthday...and get free stuff...if it's not their birthday; that that is lying, and not fair. Ms. Sherrie took the free dessert away from the un-birthday boy.
Keep in mind that my mother-in-law is witnessing this whole thing. And she is ALL UP IN HER FEELS over it.
She doesn't understand that there are lessons to teach and to be learned. She doesn't understand that if one FRIEND gets away with this...it starts a snowball effect with all of the other FRIENDS having "birthdays" every time they go out for a meal; that for all the preaching we do about not wanting our kids/adults to be treated any differently, to allow this kind of behavior, would totally defeat that goal. And they just have to follow the rules...like every other person on the planet.
She doesn't think "they" know what "they're" doing...that "they" don't mean it.
But, oh...yes, ma'am..."they" DO know, and "they" DO mean it. :)
So my mother-in-law did the one thing she knew to do: she bought desserts for all the FRIENDS and the staff. All 23 of them.
Because the non-birthday boy...and all the other FRIENDS? They were gettin' some dessert.
My mother-in-law...don't TELL her "no."
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11
No comments:
Post a Comment