I'll have the usual...

When customers were not around I would throw old or dropped burger buns out the shack window for the seagulls to devour. It brought entertainment to the day. One day a man peaked his head around the window and said, "Well, I was wondering why all the seagulls were here! Now I know."

I immediately apologized, not realizing there was still a person eating at the picnic table. So many customers had complained about the 'pesty birds,' so I knew better to only feed them when no one was around. The man said there was no need to apologize. He had a grin on his face and shared the joy of feeding the seagulls.

This man was one of my regulars at the shack. He always ordered two brats and a drink, never chips. One Wednesday he decided to try a walking taco and discovered he enJOYed it. So, aside from Wednesdays, he always ordered to brats and a drink, never chips. He came later in the day, so he was usually the only customer for about a 10 minute span. He knew my name from my tag and I only knew his last name because his niece and I graduated together and I knew of one of his daughters. I can even tell you what he drove, where his daughter went to college, where she received her masters, where his other daughter went to college and where her daughter's husband went to college. But his first name, I still don't know.

He was a gentle, kind, caring, loving, genuine, all-around incredible man. The days he would find lunch elsewhere never felt complete. I enjoyed his greeting of a smile and the encouragement that came from our conversations. My last day of work I bawled. The people I worked with inside were incredible. They were hilarious and amazingly generous. There was another person I was going to miss as well. The man who became a regular did not show up my last day. I was looking forward to thanking him for his business and kindness and how I appreciated the conversations we had. I was jealous of whoever would run the shack the rest of the summer and this summer because he was such an enJOYable person to be around.

Today I found out he passed away from cancer. It was a 2 year battle for him. His incredible attitude and seemingly positive outlook on life was and is something for all to strive for. Now he is in heaven looking down on his family and I say thank you to him for reinforcing one of the best lessons my father has taught me.

Don't draw attention to yourself from your own pain. Just enJOY life. Obviously it is important for us to vent now and then about life's troubles, so I don't mean to say never mention a single problem. We'd all go insane if everything bottled up! But sometimes we dwell on the things going on in our own life and don't pay attention to those around us. Now that I know of this man's cancer battle, he seemed to accept it and move on with his life. He had concern for those around him, the power to look past his struggles and learn about other people's lives.

What an amazing man. I pray his family has the love and support they need. He was an incredible human being and will be missed here on earth, but God has an incredible new addition up in heaven!