Jeremy the Lion

14 Feb Jeremy the Lion

If you have read my book, you know about Tara my niece.  She is an incredible human.

I decide to spoil her a little last month.  We got a hotel with a pool, hot tub, a wheelchair accessible room, room service and a restaurant.  My plan:  To pamper the heck out of her.

We arrive.  Steve, at the front desk, is awesome.  When para-transit arrives, he helps her find the room.  He gives us free breakfast coupons.   Sebastian hangs in the hot tub.   Things are good.  Sebastian rides on her wheelchair in such a ginger gentle way.  It is really cute how he acts around her.

We decide it is just a little to sketchy to stroll from our hotel to the Cheesecake Factory, so we decide to eat in the hotel restaurant.  It opens at 3pm we are told.

We sit in the waiting area and play musical chairs with my son.  I guy walks by with 3 plates of food on a tray and we ask him if the restaurant is opening at 3pm.   He keeps walking and says over his shoulder, I dunno.

I watch him walk to the bar.  I quickly surmise he must be the bartender.

We wait another 10 minutes and I ask him if we can….he keeps walking sorta saying something about he isn’t part of the restaurant.  It was WEIRD.

So, we figure we will eat in the bar.  A little weird with the TV blaring sports (i hate television) and a 4 year old in tow.  Oh well.  When we go in (Red Lion Inn, Sacramento STUNNING dance floor y’all) we notice ALL of the tables are high bar style tables.  A wheelchair won’t work at all.  There are also steps so there is just no way to eat in there.  The restaurant is right next to the bar.  The bartender has to walk through it to get to the kitchen.  He sees us and hears my niece say my wheelchair won’t work her Aunt.  Still, he does nothing.

My niece starts to get mad.  I don’t.  I tell her getting mad only ruins our evening.  There is a solution, let’s go to the front desk.

Steve is there on the phone, and a guy I haven’t met yet, Jeremy.  I tell him the situation and he seems to be off work.  He mentions it is okay for Sebastian to be in the bar.  I explain about the bar not working for the wheelchair.  I ask him if he knows how far a restaurant is that we could stroll to.  He looks at me, Sebastian and Tara and says, “I don’t think that is safe.  Have a seat in the restaurant and we will serve you.”

Jeremy becomes our server.  This is not his normal job it is clear.  He takes such great care of us.  He overhears Tara talking about the champagne we will have in the room later.  I tell her I forgot to bring it and that I’ll walk to a store.   He brings over a wine list and helps us find something for the room.  He returns to the table with the bottle on ice and two glasses.  He talks to Tara, looks her in the eye and makes sure Sebastian has crayons and is having the time of his life.  (clearly someone with kids)

Such a simple thing to do.  There was a risk that other people would want to sit in the restaurant too.  He didn’t seem to mind.

Jeremy made the weekend.  Without him we would have focused on what we didn’t have.  Instead, one individual chose to see us and treat us like family.  Bravo.

Little noble acts in the world that make all of the newspaper headlines disappear for a moment.  They are happening all around and are not talked about enough.

I’m one lucky girl to have Tara in my life – she is such an inspiration and tends to attract some beautiful transformations in people.