When I owned a retail business, many would ask my partner and I what made us different. The answer was strong and sincere: Service. We offered a great product. We offered a good atmosphere. We loved the work that we did. But underlying all the individual attributes was one thing: Service. This is a word that does not get much attention in our need it now, have it immediately society. We expect immediacy and lack appreciation for those who believe in tending to their tasks with more than just obligation. They tend it with care and consideration.
On April 24, 1943, my maternal grandfather went missing in action over the Himalayas, what is referred to as The Hump. He was a pilot. He was a supplier of needs for those at war. He was a captain so desiring of showing up for duty that his letters resonated with enthusiasm, “We flew two missions. I’m ready for my next. They are ready for supplies.”
That is what it is like for those that believe in what they do—whether it is a Captain of a flight mission, a mother caring for a child, a part time employee at a restaurant. If we believe that our work is important, if we understand that our offerings make a difference, then we fully realize that each and every one of us has a service to extend. That service is ours to define. It is ours to live up to. And for all those that already have, may we honor them.