Christmas at Waffle House

Christmas at Waffle House

It may surprise you …But probably not … I had breakfast at Waffle House today. It’s been a couple months since I have enjoyed a Waffle House meal.

I pulled into the parking lot; did the first thing we all do … and checked my phone for messages … As I was doing that, I heard a tapping on my window and looked up to see a man I didn’t know with a Veterans hat and jacket on, and a big smile on his face. I rolled down the window and said, “How are you sir?” He replied, “Merry Christmas, you’ve been Ducked!” Then he handed me a rubber duck to go on the dashboard of my Jeep… (If you don’t own a Jeep, you may not understand. Just google ‘Duck Duck Jeep’) I smiled, handed him one of my Christmas ducks, and told him, “Thank you very much, Merry Christmas!”

As I walked across the parking lot, and waved goodbye as he drove away, I wished that he was going inside so I could get to know my new friend better …

As I walked in the door, I received the traditional “Welcome to Waffle House” sung almost in unison by wait staff and cooks with Happy Christmas Season Monday Morning Smiles on their faces. I couldn’t help but smile in return and say, “Good morning y’all!” I felt like I knew them all.

I looked around for a place to sit … the counter, which had 6 seats … contained 4 customers, (left to right, Mom and daughter, an empty seat with clothes in it, then one of the largest men I’ve ever seen in real life, another empty seat, and then an even BIGGER man in the last seat. These men weren’t fat by any since of the word, but they were LARGE, I’m talking Professional Football large, with a seat between them that didn’t have any room for my skinny @$$!

Each of them noticed me trying to figure out how I could squeeze in between them and began to try to make room, when the BIG guy on the right said, “Here, I’m through, you can sit here.” I smiled and replied, “Thanks man, Merry Christmas.” “Merry Christmas!” He returned with a smile.

The first thing I noticed, after I was greeted by the waitress with “Watcha drinkin’ Hon?” … Was … the napkins! Yes, the napkins at Waffle House were regular size! Not those tiny little squares that you couldn’t even get out of the box … and by the time you wrestled some out of the box, there wasn’t one big enough to be a coaster for my cup of coffee, a real live sho‘nuff regular napkin! That easily came out of the napkin holder!

I knew it must be Christmas!

I had some time to look around, there was an older couple helping each other make their way into the door and into a booth … smiling all the way … Sweet Love …

There’s a grandad and his grandson, sitting in a booth, near me. Grandson was explaining to his grandad how the coral reefs along the ocean shore were disintegrating … interesting what we can learn from a younger generation …

There was a man and a woman sitting in different booths, at first not facing each other …they each turned around and realized they knew each other … After a lo-ong hug they sat, smiling and talking in the same booth … they obviously hadn’t seen each other in a long time … at least that’s how I saw it …

A man came in and sat next to me at the counter … Smiled at me as he said Merry Christmas (we were similar sized) BIG guy to the left offered to try and slide over a bit … we told him he was good … and Merry Christmas!

There was Mom and daughter … with daughter helping Mom walk in the door, and into an empty booth … we all smiled at them … more Sweet Love.

This guy next to me ate there every morning. As soon as he sat down, the waitress brought him a cup of coffee and an egg sandwich. I’m talking AS SOON as he sat down … I was impressed … He ate pretty fast … hugged every waitress and cook in the place. On his way out he touched me on the shoulder … smiled and yelled out to everyone …” Merry Christmas!”

Life Happens Y’all! … Everywhere … All the time …

Even at this time of year when our lives can go from Bright days, and Blue Skies … to the depths of hellish depression and sadness in moments…

Smile at Someone … wish them well, in whatever form you wish … whether its Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Happy Kwanza … It doesn’t matter … IT’S THE SMILE THAT COUNTS!

😊 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊

Joe McClure 12/2025