God Bless!

It was my usual Wednesday morning shift. I opened the register, brewed the coffee, yawned and made myself a latte. After I turned on the open sign, I patiently waited for my first customer. Through the drive-thru I received my first order, a 20 ounce smoothie with whipped cream. I finished up the drink, made small-talk with the little old lady in the small vehicle. I smiled, handed her the smoothie, and said “Have a nice day!” like I always do.

She took the smoothie and then grabbed my hand. I panicked. No one had ever grabbed my hand through the drive-thru before! She leaned farther out the window and looked straight into my eyes.

“God bless.”

Now, I’m not a particularly religious person, but this was quite the experience. I had heard people say “God bless” to me in other scenarios, such as at church or with my family, but never a complete stranger, through a drive-thru, while holding my hand.

I didn’t know what to do, so I mumbled something along the lines of “uh, yeah, you too” as she drove away.