Most high school students are encouraged to get jobs. I had little jobs here and there like babysitting or working concessions, but never a steady job. When I was a junior, I got my first part-time position. A good amount of students flock to the popular “high school positions” like McDonald’s or Burger King, or your local grocery store. I, however, chose to be a waitress, and believe it or not, I love my job. I have my boss and his family, my coworkers, and especially my customers to thank for that.

Waiting tables can be a tough job. When the restaurant gets busy, I find myself running around trying to get ketchup to table A1, and just when I have completed that task, I realize that I forgot to get the couple in section B their barbecue sauce. Then a table of 12 people comes in, and it gets even crazier if that is possible. Nevertheless, I love my job.

Most of the time, I show up to work excited. Mondays are my favorite day, because the “Card Ladies” come in and take over section D. This group of elderly women comes and eats, and they then play cards for an hour or two. Every. Single. Monday. The best part is that they are just as excited to see me as I am to see them.

I love my job. There are a few men who come in every afternoon for coffee or tea. One sticks out to me in particular. He sits at the counter and drinks out of the same little green coffee cup every weekday. He never asks when he is ready for more coffee, he just slides his cup to the edge of the counter. If I walk by and see it sitting there, I know to fill it up. The awesome thing about this particular customer is that he gives me a new piece of advice for life every day, whether he knows it or not.

I love my job. I have spent the past two years being a waitress, but it has been so much more than that. I have built relationships. I have gotten close to my customers. They came to my show choir dinner theatre and they came to my graduation party. They come into the restaurant and tell me about their day and expect to hear about mine in return. I would not get this experience at just any restaurant.

My boss runs an amazing business and he has a pretty amazing staff to go along with it. It is family style. It is small. It has the small-town feel to it. When customers come in, depending on who they are, I know where they are going to sit. I know that John is going to come out from the kitchen and talk to everyone and leave his coffee on a random table for someone on the wait staff to find and return to him.

I have learned so much from this job. I have learned how to handle busy situations and how to stay grounded. I have learned how to smile through the tough stuff and keep working hard. Most of all, I have learned that I love to make people happy.

So to John and his family, thank you. Thank you for hiring me. Thank you for teaching me the ins and outs of the restaurant life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity and experience I have received.

To my coworkers, thank you. Thank you for sharing your time with me. Thank you for dancing with me behind the wait station when trying to maneuver around each other and go our separate ways.

And to my dear, beloved customers, thank you. Thank you for making me love my job, and for coming in and playing cards. Thank you for building relationships with me. Thank you for missing me while I am away at school, and hugging me when I am back at work, and for wishing me luck in life. Thank you for giving me advice and for loving me like family. Thank you all, for everything that has ever happened inside that little restaurant.

Sincerely,

Your Waitress