Yesterday.<\/p>\n
After finishing the day\u2019s tasks, I was driving home.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, I remembered that lunchtime had already passed somewhere along the way, and at home, the fridge sat with shelves creaking under the weight, not waiting for me to hit the brakes at the cafeteria I hadn\u2019t yet visited.<\/p>\n
The little cafeteria was full of people eating.<\/p>\n
I looked around, searching with my eyes for how to order.<\/p>\n
Which met the smiling saleswoman.<\/p>\n
Really smiling.<\/p>\n
Radiating such warmth that even without realizing it, my own lips stretched into a bigger smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my first time here\u2026\u201d I mumbled, not really sure how to order.
\n\u201cPerfect,\u201d she said, and led me to the order screens.
\nThree times she expressed mild regret that, of all days, so many of the best dishes were \u201cgone,\u201d but sincerely recommended: \u201cthe soups.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t regret it,\u201d she said, \u201cthey\u2019re delicious!\u201d
\nThanking her for the advice, I slurped the recommended soup while one eye kept watch on that sweet lady:
\nShe helped a little kid order, guided another customer, carried a tray for a child who had finished lunch, all with such joy that I realized I wasn\u2019t just looking at my soup\u2014which I had already almost finished\u2014but at the good-mood energy bouncing around the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo praise her,\u201d I mentally nudged myself.
\nI looked around. Lots of people. No music playing.
\nA bit shy.
\nHow do you just walk up \u201cout of nowhere\u201d and say, you know what, you\u2019re wonderful?
\nKind of un-Lithuanian\u2026
\nSo I stayed put.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo on,\u201d I tried to lift myself from the chair\u2014but the soft, shy part of me felt glued down with \u201csuper glue.\u201d
\nFinally, a safe idea popped into my head!<\/p>\n
There were cakes on the counter\u2014I\u2019ll buy one, I thought\u2014and maybe I could finally manage to say the good words I was still learning not to swallow.<\/p>\n
\u201cDessert?\u201d greeted me the cheerful woman.
\n\u201cI\u2019d like a cheesecake,\u201d I said, quietly adding, \u201cbut more than the cake, I want to praise you.\u201d
\nBingo!!! I did it, V.!
\nNobody freaked out over the compliment!<\/p>\n
The saleswoman lifted her eyes, a multitude of happy wrinkles forming around them.<\/p>\n
For the first time, I thought\u2014how does she make a person feel so seen?
\nHow her face just lights up!<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for noticing and saying that,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cI ate for \u2018a little,\u2019 but I felt like I\u2019d had lunch at a fancy restaurant for \u2018a lot.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
And that\u2026<\/p>\n
I left full, holding a piece of cake I probably didn\u2019t really need.
\nThe saleswoman saw me off, beaming.
\nAlmost literally.
\nWin-win.<\/p>\n
I mentally patted myself on the shoulder for managing not to swallow the good word along with the delicious soup.
\nBut it really didn\u2019t take much for my mischievous little \u201cdon\u2019t-praise-people\u201d self to almost win: \u201cah, how do you even compliment\u2026 feels un-Lithuanian\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
My lunch for five(0) happened at Confeti Cafeteria in Saul\u0117tekis.
\nAnd this is really not an ad.
\nThough\u2026 maybe it is. Let everyone be like that.<\/p>\n
Praise someone if your heart fluttered reading this.
\nIt really works wonders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-17811","istorija","type-istorija","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/viktorijos.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/istorija\/17811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/viktorijos.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/istorija"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/viktorijos.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/istorija"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/viktorijos.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}