22/04/2022
A Table of Gratitude! 🥰
The south is the most charming place I have ever been. I am sure you just rolled your eyes at my cliche statement. However, you don’t know southern hospitality until you spend some time here.
And when I say here, I mean Savannah, Georgia. My strolls through the squares with my walking peach tea have been dreamy. The Spanish moss (which is not from Spain, nor is it moss) flows from the live oak trees and reminds me of more magical times in life. This city is indescribable; you have to experience it.
Now, I am not here to convince you that southern charm makes me want to take up an accent and move across the county. I am here today with a story of my gut.
You read that right. I am here to discuss the feeling in your body when you experience something that you aren’t too sure about. I believe that our bodies talk to us; whether or not we choose to listen or have the ability to listen is a different story.
Back to Savannah... 🥰
Tuesday afternoon, we sat down to a southern home-style lunch at a darling little restaurant that sits on a block not even large enough to support the line pouring from the front door. After our wait (well worth it, by the way), we were seated at a table with seven strangers, and lunch was served. The table was covered in over 20 sides, from black-eyed peas to cornbread dressing. Each table setting included a fork, spoon, knife, and sweet tea. If you would like water or unsweetened tea, order it, that’s how it is here.
To my right, a small family from New York whispered about the surprise of our seating arrangements and the spread of food before us. To my left was a small group from North Carolina that had been seated before we came in. After a few moments of passing dishes left to right and sharing our opinions of what each side was or wasn’t, our plates were full. The fried chicken was the apparent star of the meal, but I am all about the sides, so I was in a Thanksgiving bliss on this lovely April afternoon.
If you know me, you know I am all about the chit-chat. I will walk up to anyone, anywhere, anytime, and go through my well-thought-out list of curious questions. (And if you have a dog, watch out.)
So for me, this family-style seating arrangement was almost better than the mac and cheese being passed back and forth. I started in with my usual, where are you from? You came here in an Airstream? Why did you choose to vacation here? And my list goes on and on. After a bit, the awkwardness settled, and we were all just sharing a meal. It was an incredible experience. After our plates were empty and our bellies were far too full, we took our plates to the sink. It’s tradition. We bid farewell and walked up to the front of the restaurant to pay.
“You are covered. That gentleman right there paid for your entire table to enjoy lunch. That's some fine southern hospitality right there.” The cashier stated as he pointed to my new friend, who was trying to make his escape out the back door.
There it was; my stomach dropped. Maybe it was the collard greens? Green beans? (Nope, everything was delicious. But sometimes, when things get weird, I get funny. I know many of you can relate.)
My first reaction was emotion. And when we, as human beings, are filled with emotion, sometimes we end up stuck there. Being stuck causes us to miss out on incredible human experiences and opportunities for genuine authenticity. Thankfully, I can separate my body from my head. To feel extreme human emotions, to allow my feelings to process through my mind, and then choose to let them into my heart or not. It is a skill I am currently honing, so it's not always perfect.
If I chose to stay in my head or with my emotions, here are the choices I would have had:
✨Be thankful and move on.
✨Say something like, oh, that was so kind.
✨Brainstorm ways I could pay this kind man back.
(All of these responses are acceptable and fine.)
But I want to live a bit deeper. I choose to live in my body and make choices based on my heart's intention. So, I abandoned the basic ideas my mind was reaching for, and I decided to listen to my heart. I did the only natural thing to do when one is in a position like this. I chased him.
I ran right up to my new friend, and I gave him the biggest hug. When our eyes met, I knew that his actions brought him joy without any reaction from me. He didn’t need me or my hug or my gratitude. He had it all already. His own choices and actions made him complete. In fact, his response to my gratitude wasn’t even about him. “I hope ya’ll come back to the south. Bye now.”
PEOPLE!!! This is the human experience. This is why we are here. To give and receive love, light, and gratitude without expectation! To care for each other, to care enough to change lives and bring grace to this planet.
Now I am not saying you need to go out and buy someone lunch. I am not saying you need to spend money at all. Say hi to strangers, love one another, and be there for those who need you most. See someone struggling, offer assistance. And search for moments of kindness in your heart. Your mind is far too busy; it is full of everything society shares with it, and your brain is wired to take action based on what society deems correct or incorrect. When you are overwhelmed with emotion, your brain thinks it's in charge. Feelings don't come from your brain; they come from your emotional pillar. Find that spot in your heart and go from there.
And when you meet someone so kind, always offer gratitude; let that gratitude spill
into your days to come and pass it on to others.
Your heart knows; follow that! ❤️
