Just Because…

Heading out to a restaurant means different things to different people. For me, it ALWAYS means carrying a stash of handmade gratitude tokens that I can hand out to the greeters, servers, kitchen staff and any strangers whom I happen to interact with.

From the hostess who's been on her feet all day to the busser clearing tables, these often unnoticed background workers aren’t looking to be celebrated.

Just today when I handed a gratitude token to our server after he took our order and BEFORE he brought us our food, my husband asked: “What if the service isn’t great and the food sub par?”

I told him he could use the tip option to reflect that.

The tokens are not in response to anything…they are not in lieu of a tip…they are to let a person know they’re appreciated and valued regardless.

It’s been seven years of doing this and the fact that I am still having to explain the “why” behind this to my husband tells me I have a long way to go.

These little canvases are my experiments in mediums, colors and shapes.

When I hand them out, it’s not with an expectation for my art to be appreciated; it’s simply a small gesture to let them know they’re seen.

A tangible token of appreciation for showing up.