By Joe Mazzella
It was 40 years ago and I was in college. Although I had signed up for all of the financial aid I could possibly get and chose one of the least expensive colleges in the state I was still struggling to afford it. I signed up for work study jobs each semester then to have at least a few spare dollars in my pocket. These were jobs where in addition to classes you worked a few hours each day helping the college staff. Most of the time it meant helping secretaries or professors with paperwork, but one semester I got assigned to work in the college cafeteria.
Now this was a hard job. Each day you were working fast trying to keep up with hundreds of students eating during the lunch or dinner rush. I spent my time washing dishes, mopping floors, and carrying out the trash. Usually by the end of my shift my feet and back hurt, but looking back on it today I am so grateful that I worked there. I grew to truly admire the staff that worked there full-time. They taught me a lot of things that I still remember to this day.
Some of the things I learned from them: Don’t waste food. Never overstuff a flimsy trash bag. Just because a plate looks clean doesn’t mean it is clean. Always wring your mop out. Take pride in what you do. Laughing and joking while you work makes the day go faster. Kindness is contagious. Smiles are both free and priceless. Bringing joy to your day makes your day a joy. And the smartest people in this world aren’t always the ones with the most advanced degrees. Sometimes the wisest and most loving souls hide behind the simplest jobs.
At the end of our lives it won’t matter if we worked in a fancy office or a cafeteria. God will be looking at the beauty of our souls not the degrees on our walls. God will be looking at the joy we spread not the money we made. God will be looking at our kindness not our worldly success. Because in the end, all that matters is the Love we have shared.
