In his "old life," my dad ate a Wendy's salad for lunch every day. Like Jared from the Subway commercials, this consistency of eating a commercial chain's healthy entrée caused him to drop 20lbs. Just as it seemed he was finally getting his health on track, my dad became disabled from a stroke.
Yesterday we were taking our daily walk in the park, when I realized we were going to miss lunch at the assisted living facility in which he was now staying. "What do you want for lunch?" I asked. And in a positive change from his typical detached response of, "I don't care" or "I'm not hungry," he said, "I'd really like a Wendy's salad." So off we went.
When we pulled up to the Wendy's on Hampton, we were greeted by a young man who walked over and held open the door when he saw us coming. He waited patiently as my dad slowly ambled with his cane across the parking lot, greeting us with a bright, genuine smile and a sincere, "Welcome to Wendy's! Thanks for coming in." This positivity warmed me as we stepped in from the gray, drizzling outdoors.
We ordered our salads - an apple pecan chicken salad apiece. The young woman at the register did not hear my dad mumble that he wanted a lemonade. After I'd already paid, she filled up a cup for him, and when I went to pay for it, she told me to not worry about it. I was taken aback by this.
I moved on to the end of the counter, where another young woman was assembling our tray. My dad scanned the items. "Where are my fries?" he barked, in the impulsive, slightly inappropriate way in which the stroke dictates his interactions sometimes. "Dad," I replied, with a note of exasperation in my voice. "You didn't order any fries."
"You want some fries?" the young lady piped up. She grabbed a small carton of fries and put it on our tray. Again, as I went to pay for them, she told me to not worry about it.
Perhaps it was the charming way my dad wore a cowboy hat and his sunglasses indoors. Perhaps it was that these workers could tell I was a little bit affected by caregiver stress. Whatever it was, this small act of kindness meant the world to me.
They probably broke some kind of corporate policy by giving me these items for free. I would implore their manager to not punish them for it. For the meager price of a medium lemonade and small fries, this Wendy's location earned a pair of loyal customers. Not only were the salads crisp, fresh, and tasty, the restaurant clean, and the staff friendly, but they viewed my father and I as real people, and not just random strangers moving in and out without being worth noticing. They weren't just friendly, they were truly kind and compassionate. I hope the manager of this Wendy's knows what a great group of staff he or she has hired.
In a time where my father is trying to desperately hold on to semblances of his "old life," we will come back to this location for salads again and again. Thank you, Wendy's on Hampton. read more