As someone who has worked in the hotel/restaurant industry for the past 6 years, I tend to distant myself from customers, co-workers, and management. I don't let my personal life or feelings get caught up in my work. Customers come & go where business/life calls them, co-workers get fired/quit, etc... I suppose I cover up that distance with my jokeful sarcasm and smart ass nature, which sometimes makes me an unapproachable person. However, sometimes in the seemingly smallest ways, I have been truly taken aback by how much affection and care a stranger can display towards me.

This week, we had a family stay with us for a while at the hotel. I got to know the father & mother and their children decently. It became habit that the father would come in to get breakfast first due to his job starting so early in the morning and be off quickly, and later his wife & children would come down. I would happily chat with the mom about the perfect places to go out & eat, places that were kid-friendly, and so on. This is basic chatter to me because my job simply requires me to know such. On their last day, I was surprised to see the whole family as one come down to dine for breakfast. I jokingly said, "So they finally let ya have the day off, Mr.(Smith)?" but he told that it was their last day of their stay before heading back to Oklahoma and he wanted to be with his family. It was a little sad to hear but I shrugged it off. As the family finished their meal, the mother ran up to me and hugged me tightly, giving me an innocent peck on the cheek. She doted on me and thanked me for my constant cheerfulness & kindness towards her family and couldn't wait to come back... I truly was shocked. I smiled and thanked her for her sweetness.

The second shock of my week was in the form of a person whom I have... shall I say, annoying big brother/still kinda care relationship with. He's one of my superiors and though he's arrogant alot and acts high-&-mighty towards some staff, because I've known him longer and can get away with being a snarky bitch, he treats me as an equal. We constantly make jabs at one another and though I give him a hard time, we both respect and care for each other. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if he has a crush on me by the way he acts at times and how he hovers over me while I work, but otherwise, he knows where I stand as far as my husband goes and dares not question me about it.
He was also the first person I had to call when I first received news of my Dad's upcoming fate on December 21st, 2012. I remember telling him I knew I was scheduled to work the next day but I didn't know if I was mentally stable enough to even sleep that night. I was by myself, alone, scared, sobbing uncontrollably, broken. I was in total melt down mode. He threatened me to not take one step on the hotel's property (and if I tried, he'd send me away), and go be with my father. Then that next day, December 22nd, my father passed away as I held his hands...
Yesterday, a year and a half later, as I walked down the long stretch of hallway passing him by the timeclock, he asked me what my plans were for the weekend, but I was silent, being reminded of the person I miss so terribly that I can't share this holiday with anymore. "I'll be with my mother & sister," was all I said. My supervisor suddenly realized what he had said, and that this weekend is Father's Day, and he embraced me tightly. He just said, "I'm so so sorry... Good luck to you, hon. Please take care of yourself." In that tiny moment, it took all my strength to not cry, but I hugged him back as if he were a long lost relative. I can't say if it was out of how much I miss my dad terribly, media everywhere constantly reminding me that I can no longer buy witty father's day gifts/cards, or how shocked I was that this man hugged me so brotherly-like and so personally, or a mixture of all of this. I could only smile weakly and say "Thank you, (name)... I'll be okay." The drive home was tear-filled one but I managed.

I'm not saying I plan to be a more open individual at work, as I have too many trust issues with people in general to allow that. But I suppose I shouldn't be so quick to be uncaring, distant, or shut-off from those who genuinely care about me while I'm at my job.