Mama J and the left-over chocolate gateau.

While washing restaurant dishes one evening. A very special lady entered my life. Mama J. She stayed on the premises with her family. I really love her. We met while i would break glasses. Really.
Waitressing and washing dishes would never be part of ‘the brats plan to living’ nevertheless it had to be done. At this stage of my life i am so happy about the long hours behind the restaurant sink, but back in the day i loathed it.

A memorable Saturday evening i was freed from waitressing and ‘progressed’ to washing dishes. Way more my scene, I thought to myself. Relaxed, calm and tranquil. To my surprise about a million plates (me exaggerating) ...came in that had to be washed in this high tech automatic machine that looked very intimidating and menacing. I took the plates and nailed the machine. Heck yes, another learning curve completed. I felt like a girl in a computer game, systematically going on to new levels. Until the wine glasses came in and slow motion would occur. Wine Glasses.... intimidating machine... intimidating machine door... glass underneath intimidating machine door... glass smashing underneath intimidating machine door... Evil angry eyes looking at me and intimidating machine door being framed by broken glass.

I felt real bad about my mess-up and breaking all the fancy wine glasses. I walked away to regain some sort of strength, while crying outside in the dark all very dramatic. As i looked up, I saw a lady in working clothes offering me a cup of tea. This would be my first encounter with Mama J. She invited me ‘illegally’, into her little house on the premises of the Academy. She was so straightforward and told me that I needed to take the focus of my ‘seemingly’ bad circumstance and perceive the beautiful privilege that would be in front of me. Argggh i needed to hear that but didn’t want to hear that.


We drank tea and she gave me some of the left-over chocolate gateau from the previous restaurant night. It was amazing. After that she handed me a card that read: ‘Through God we can do all things’. Mama J told me to keep my head up double the height and start to work twice as hard... my earlier complaint felt immensely frivolous... Mama J would now become my new mentor..