A Little Lunch & A Lot of Love

In a recent post, I wrote about our receptionist who makes our students feel welcome and cared for. Well it just so happens that I need to write about another person at our school who also has a wonderful connection with our students. The reason I need to write this blog so soon is because this person is leaving us this Friday. I am talking about Mrs. Marie Bentz. Marie is one of our lunch ladies and will be retiring this Friday. Marie and I started almost the same time here at Vantage. This is Marie's eleventh year serving lunch to our students and it will be a sad day for Vantage when she finally steps away.


Don't get me wrong, I am so happy for Marie and her family. I know she will enjoy her retirement and continue to make the most of every day. The reason she will be missed so much is that Marie doesn't just serve lunch to our students. Every day Marie is also serving smiles, warmth and a whole lot of love to our students. I am sure if you asked Marie about this, she wouldn't even realize that she is doing such a thing. However, I notice and the students notice. I don't even know how Marie does it day after day but she does. She always has a great big smile and treats each student with such respect and warmth. Marie probably doesn't realize the impact she has had on these students but we at Vantage recognize it. I can tell all of you personally that I know firsthand how much a smile or a friendly greeting means to our students. If it is only for that quick moment in the lunch line that they feel loved and respected, then that means the world to them. They feel significant. They feel someone cares. I will also tell you that the students can also recognize when someone is genuine or they are "faking" it. They are not easily fooled. Marie never has to "fake" it. Her love and care is genuine. She has a spirit that just glows with love and compassion. I know that there have been some hard days for Marie in the past year, but she continued to smile and treat the students with love. When I would talk to her about the things going on in her life, she smiled and just simply stated that her family was doing fine and God continues to bless them. What a great attitude and beautiful spirit.

Marie has helped me an awful lot in my job. It is no secret that the counselor often has to deal with issues that can be very difficult and issues that really tug at the heart. Well if I am having a hard day, I know when I go through the lunch line to get my milk, Marie will serve up a smile and ask me how I am doing. I am amazed that her smile can instantly make me feel better and make me realize that everything is going to be okay. I can only imagine how it makes our students feel when so many of them are having a rough day. I think an important lesson we can all take from Marie is this; no matter where you are at in life, no matter what your job, you can make a difference in a persons life. We all can. A friendly good morning or good evening to a fellow student, a smile when we pass by someone in the hall, or even a genuine "how are you doing" can go a long way. Show someone throughout the day that you care, really care (don't fake it), and just see what a difference you make.

Well I just want to say thank you Marie. You have made my years at Vantage that much more enjoyable and you have touched over 4500 students. 4500+ students have been affected by you when you possibly didn't even realize it. You will be missed Marie, but I will remember you always in my heart and you will be remembered always in the hearts of our students. Thank you again for always serving up a little lunch, but an awful lot of love.