I believe in always tipping the server at a restaurant. It is something that has been taught in my family for decades. 

As a young girl, I never understood the concept of tipping a server, and I didn’t really know what it was until I was eleven. My mother had taken my brother and myself out for dinner one night, and when we were done with our meal, the server brought the check and handed it over. It was then that my mother looked me in the eye and told me that she had something important to discuss with me; something that I would need to remember for the rest of my life. 

Sitting across from her, my thoughts were racing with excitement. Yes, she had told me important things before, but I could tell from the tone of her voice that this was more important than all of the other matters we had discussed before. She picked the black folder up from the scarred table and opened it up for me to see. 

It was then that she informed me about the process of tipping and how it worked. She told me that once you receive this bill, you not only have to pay for the meal, but you must also give a small percentage towards the person who waits on you. She explained how the system works; you take the overall price of your meal and multiply that by a percentage, getting a number that is used as a tip for the server. 

At first, I was overwhelmed with this knowledge. I believed that I was going to forget everything that she had told me, which would end with her being disappointed in me. But my feelings soon transitioned into ones of curiosity. The process of tipping was intriguing in my eleven-year-old mind, and I wondered if there was more than just tipping a person for their service. 

My mother proceeded to tell me that there might come a day when I do not wish to tip a server because of their bad service. She told me that even though the service might have been awful, that does not mean that the server should go without a tip. She explained to me that the server may be having a bad day, and in order to help with that, I should still give a tip. Not the percentage that one would typically get if the service was great, but a smaller portion to make them feel better. 

From that day on, I have always remembered to tip the server whether the service was good or not. These people put up with outlandish requests for the food that is on the menu. These people have to put up with rude customers who do not care if their tone of voice upsets the server. They have to clean up the messes that we leave behind, and, yes, that may be a part of their job, but sometimes the mess that is left behind is disgusting. 

Kindness can go a long way, and if I can help a person feel better by giving them a tip, I will do it.