There’s a Vietnamese Pho restaurant that my husband and I go to once in a while. The atmosphere isn’t fancy in any way, shape or form, but it’s clean, intimately small, and the steamy hot and delicious beef and vegetable pho is like grandma’s home-made chicken soup (at least my grandma’s soup when she was still residing on Earth).
There are other pho restaurants near our house, but we’re willing to drive 45 minutes away because we also enjoy a special person’s company…seeing and talking to our favorite waiter, Phung, who’s genuinely friendly and very personable.
He’s also the quiet professional (not the waiter/waitress who had one too many Red Bulls and/or triple espresso’s) who seems to quietly check on our table at the perfect moments, like a gentle breeze passing by on a sunny, summer day.
Note: Thank you meatandconfer.wordpress.com for image on right. 
We’ve grown to like him so much that we not only give him a 30-40% + tip (more near holidays) for his outstanding service, and just for Being himself, but we also surprised him one day with some home-baked, pudding chocolate chip cookies with white chocolate and butterscotch morsels.
One of my former co-workers/teachers/friend from an early learning center/preschool introduced our classroom (she worked mainly next door to us) to home-baked pudding cookies (which I’ve never had before), and they were heavenly!
I nicknamed her, “Jen, The Tough Teddybear,” which I later turned into “Jennybear” (in her birthday card that I made for her) because she acted all east-coast, female, gangsta who didn’t care about a damn thing in this world on the outside, but I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to see her gentle and very loving side, especially with the children.
Note: Thank you www.vermontteddybear.com for cute image on left.
Jen even had the most patience and cuddly love with one of our most challenging children, and it was apparent that the autistic child—whom I named Kenny in my unpublished post, “My Exciting New J.O.B. (Joy of Being)”—sensed her loving care at a deep level.
Although Kenny couldn’t speak, I believe he expressed his gratitude non-verbally to her with smiles, laughter, hugs, kisses and gentle touches of her face, which he reserved for only those few he felt the most comfortable with.
Watching the two interact was like watching a mother and child play in a beautiful and peaceful garden.
I also learned about why she had such a thick, brick wall for a defense mechanism after she shared some of her touching personal stories with me, and I was able to empathize with her from my own “dark” times.
Jen (real name) apparently earned a reputation for the way she was because others chose to see her with their physical eyes rather than their heart’s eyes, and they didn’t give her any room for her to reveal her True Self/Soul/Spark of God, Goddess and Divine Spirit/All That Is to them.
Their minds were set, and they seemed merciless in the way they treated her and others who they didn’t understand, perceived as a threat, or judged in some other way.
I understood at a deeper level that their words, behavior and actions stemmed from fear, and I believe my True Self often reminded me to Be Deep Understanding, Empathy, Compassion, Forgiveness, Acceptance, Embrace and Unconditional Love.
However, sometimes, it was just too much for my ego self (who hadn’t full surrendered to my True Self), and they managed to stir up my emotions like a raging whirlpool. I have no doubt that I was an enemy in some of their eyes as well, because I often gently, yet assertively, told them truths they weren’t prepared to hear, and their shocked expressions spoke for themselves.
I’ll take someone like Jen any day over someone who portrays a friendly image on the outside, and claims to absolutely love children, while revealing their true colors behind closed doors. I wrote about lovable her, all the amazing children of our classroom, and others in detail in my unpublished post called “My Exciting New J.O.B. (Joy of Being).”
Note: Thank you www.smh.com.au for perfect image on right.
I miss Jen (although I’ve known her briefly), and I don’t miss the majority of the people that I’ve crossed paths with throughout my life.
I even had a few dreams about her and the children from our classroom; but I have no doubt that we will meet again someday, and build some more wonderful memories.
I would love to surprise Jen and her family one day with overflowing love and abundance. She sometimes worried about her financial situation, which broke my heart because I felt helpless at the time.
Note: Thank you www.jeremiah-2911.com for image on left.
Both Jen and her husband had a smart-ass sense of humor, and they often made me smile and laugh. Once, I read to her (while she was doing something) a comment that was in Kenny’s (autistic child) binder from his previous/main teacher that he brought to our classroom afterwards on a daily basis.
I told her, “It says here that he had a very difficult day.” Note: Very challenging days included Kenny throwing chairs, toys, not listening whatsoever, biting and screaming. Jen immediately replied in a sarcastic tone and with a hopeless expression, “Grrreat.” However, like usual, she comforted him like an angel, which explains why she was his favorite teacher.
Jen’s husband had an interesting combo-package accent that included a southern and New York accent. Although I usually had no problem identifying some typical accents, I was often baffled by his. So I asked Jen one day, and she laughed and explained that he apparently collected them as he traveled as a former military member, and I wasn’t the only one he confused.
One day, as Jen’s husband stopped by to pick up one of their children, he said in a loud and obnoxious manner, “Ms. Bobbie! If this Italian (which he pronounced EYE-talian, highly and hilariously emphasizing the “I”) ever gives you a hard time…you let me know!”
Jen, and the fascinating and loving kids of our classroom (to include her angelic and free-spirited daughter, whom I named Anna in the same post above), made that place worthwhile while it lasted.
Note: Thank you www.curiositiesbydickens.com for image and helpful quote on right.
YES…I got sidetracked, which I don’t mine since I like to just go with the flow and follow my path of passion and excitement (which informs us that we’re in alignment—as souls with free will—with our True Self’s will and heartfelt wishes).
Anyhoo, ever since that day that Jen shared her usual generosity, I wanted to share these delightful treats with everyone and their mamas, grandmas and great grandmas. 😉
It worked out perfectly that day at the pho restaurant, because Phung mentioned to us, during one of his stops by our table, that their restaurant (family operated) had slow business lately due to the weather.
But he said it with such a positive attitude and outlook (not in a complaining manner), adding that it was just a phase and that he believed that business would pick up soon.
I worked as a waitress from my late teens to early twenties, so I know that it can be stressful when business is slow; and I can only imagine what it’s like when one has a family to support on top of that, and it’s almost near the holidays.
Note: Thank you ww.artflakes.com for beautiful image on left.
I thanked my True Self for inspiring me to follow my heart and bake/share cookies with Phung and his family.
My husband and I waited until we paid the bill, and were ready to leave, before I took out the bag of cookies that I had placed in my mega 80’s purse.
When I handed him the cookies, I was surprised and touched to see Phung’s expression. I assumed he would be happy to receive it (like most people would), but I wasn’t expecting to see him a little teary-eyed with a smile.
I told him that we always appreciate his kindness, and we wanted to thank him by baking some cookies for him and his family, and that we hoped they liked them.
He replied excitedly, “Oh we will definitely enjoy them! Thank you so much!” The next time we stopped by, he thanked us again and told us that his whole family had enjoyed the cookies, especially his little son. I love meeting people like Phung (which seems to be a rare opportunity) because their genuine kindness is just contagious.
Note: Thank you soundofheart.org for inspiring quote on right.
Whenever my husband and I see him, a few of the employees at our local Korean supermarket (who I also wrote about in unpublished post, “Uplifting One Another”), and others like them, we feel as though our vibrations sky-rocketed.
Often times, it’s the small things that bring such happiness.
Anyhoo, after your meal, like some Asian restaurants, Phung’s restaurant hands you Chinese fortune cookies. Well, after my husband and I enjoy the treats, and then share each other’s messages, we normally throw them away.
For a now known reason, I kept one of the messages from a while back, and placed it on my gingerbread lady wooden utensil holder with scotch tape, next to the stove, so that I would see it every day.
The video below reminded me of the following Chinese fortune cookie message: “Be yourself and you’ll feel at home anywhere.”
For me, this message translates to “Be your authentic, True Self/Soul/Spark of God, Goddess and Divine Spirit/All That Is, and you’ll feel at home anywhere in the omniverse…especially on planet Earth.”
Oh, and the Chinese word on the back of the fortune cookie message is, “Happy Birthday.” Indeed…it is a tiny, yet, very valuable birth to Earth gift of profound wisdom.
Note: Thank you www.keen.com for captivating image on left.
Going Home – Meeting your Star Family (<== Click on title to view in another window)
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