One of the best feelings is knowing that I have made a(n) ____1____ impact on another person’s life.
During my freshman year, I got my first real job at Dunkin’ Donuts. I quickly became aware that customers’ ____2____ was important, so I tried to provide the best service that I could. I still remember one customer vividly, an elderly gentleman named Frank. He came in every Sunday afternoon and ordered a medium coffee with two old-fashioned donuts. Immediately after I saw him pull into the parking lot, I ____3____ his order, having it ready by the time he walked in. If I had no other work to do, I sat and talked with him. We learned a lot about each other. I could not help feeling sorry for him because his wife had recently passed away.
After a year of working every weekend, I eventually decided to leave and turned in my two-week notice. The most difficult part of ____4____ was not telling my boss, but informing Frank. I felt like I was ____5____ him. When I finally brought it up, he ____6____ replied, “Oh, that’s too bad. I’m sure that the staff will miss you.” I began to think that our visits held no real importance to him, and that he would be just as ____7____ enjoying his food alone. ____8____, on my last day, Frank came in with a card that simply read, “Your kindness during the time we have spent together is heartwarming. You had no ____9____ to speak a word to me, let alone show a real interest in our conversations. Few things have brought me more pleasure than our weekly visits. Thank you.”
The amount of ____10____ I received for such minor efforts is mind-blowing. Giving up my weekends for a year was a small price to pay to grasp the remarkable effects of kindness.