I was in town last week visiting some new friends and they insisted we go to the City Café Diner on Lee Highway before I left town. I did not understand why, as we approached this Best Western connected hole-in-the-wall looking diner.
Although there is nothing aesthetically jaw-dropping about this diner, I was told I had to meet someone very special. My friends requested a table for three and to have Alishia, if possible. We were told there would be a short wait, as everyone in line with us was also waiting for a table in her section.
I did not give it much mind. A few short moment later, after drooling over the Diner’s incredible cake section, we were seated. That is when I met Alishia. You can feel her warmth before she even gets to the table. A hopeless optimist, she never stops smiling, even though the place was incredibly busy during this brunch time. She took our orders and asked my friends for updates on former conversations they have had in the past. Her service and the experience as a result was comparable to meals that I have had in Michelin star restaurants, but even better.
I began to pay closer attention to her interactions with the other tables. Every table that sat, she knew. There was never a stranger. She anticipated the needs of every person with enthusiasm and a smile. My friends asked how her birthday was the previous week. She said she was able to take her children out to eat and felt very blessed. You see, Alishia works very hard and is a single mother. She coordinates with her own mother to manage childcare while they work opposite shifts.
Her kindness spills over into everything she does, even outside of the home. She told my friends she had made Easter baskets for them and would bring them for their next visit. Once, she noticed one of them was sick and purchased them some vitamins and sick care items out of her own pocket and delivered it to them on their next visit to the Café. These are all just small examples of what a special human Alishia is.
I am sure the stories would be in the hundreds. There is no one more deserving.
Jessica Wheeler