Dear Waiter at the Brewery Who Noticed My Brother's Disability

Dear Waiter at the Brewery,

When my family visited your restaurant a few weeks ago, you greeted us with a big smile and introduced yourself. No staring, despite the fact that my brother, who has cerebral palsy and several other disabilities, obviously ignored you. You didn’t seem to mind that our family was painfully slow as we tried to corral Phillip while we followed you to our table. You didn’t seem to mind that my brother practically bowled you over in his trek around the restaurant in search of a broom. As you took our order, you were kind and courteous, even as Phillip continued to get up to go after the broom, then the dust pan, then the manual vacuum. You didn’t think twice when we told you Phillip wouldn’t be placing an order because he doesn’t eat in restaurants. When we decided it would be best for Phillip to sit at another table so he had more room to play with the broom and vacuum you so kindly let him borrow, you welcomed Phillip to pick any table he liked.

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Because of your openness to allow Phillip to do what made his heart content, the rest of my family – myself, my parents and my cousins – enjoyed a wonderful meal and some much-needed catch-up time. Your normalizing of our situation allowed us to converse uninterrupted and even stick around long enough to enjoy dessert and take a family photo.

Thank you for your kindness and acceptance. Next time we dine with you, I’m sure Phillip would be happy to sweep your section of the restaurant again.

Sincerely,

An appreciative sister