As she wiped the rim of both plates she gave herself a silent pat on the back and walked them out to the dining room.
Beaming, she presents the owner and wife with the evening’s special––Pork Milanese. Leaving them with essentially her heart on a plate she walks back to the hot line.
“How was everything?”
“Great.”
She finishes her 15-hour day marking invoices in a warm, stuffy office feeling tired, but fulfilled, like “this is all for something.”
She falls asleep that night with a smile on her face.
The next morning her boss calls her into his office.
The couple did not enjoy their meal.
It was greasy. I should have rested the breaded, pan-fried pork cutlets on a paper towel before transferring it to the plates.
Her heart sunk.
She fought back the tears and walked back to the kitchen devastated.
A failure realized.
Those are the moments that chip away at your soul if you let them. Which I did.
Looking back now, I’m grateful for that learning experience of course. It helped me to become better.
But at the same time, it worsened a small knot of depression that had been already steadily growing inside of me.
If you have someone by your side encouraging you and showing you how these moments can build character, humility and strength you can keep enduring. Healthy self-care practices really help too.
So, maybe next time you think you nailed it, remember…
There is always more to learn.