I’ve enjoyed eating shawarma once a week for as long as I can remember.
For me, good shawarma is more than food, it’s happiness.
A well-made shawarma is quick, flavorful, healthy and nourishing.
A few years ago, I started going regularly to Shawarma Style at 207 Boulevard du Mont-Bleu in Gatineau.
Gradually, I started a conversation with the owner.
You know, when you meet someone, over and over, you talk about stuff. Even if it’s 5 minutes when you add these over the years, it’s starting to look like a conversation, it starts to look like a relationship.
I love the owner of Shawarma style. I am not even sure how to write your name and I won’t insult you by misspelling it, but I want you to know that I love you.
Tonight, I indulged and I went for a second time this week to see you. I had a busy week. I had ridden my bike for 2 hours in the cold this afternoon. I just wanted a simple meal that would fill my stomach and satisfy my hunger.
As usual, we talked about life in general. Through our shared stories and the few words that can be said in the time it takes to make shawarma, I can always feel in you a pearl of certain wisdom that comes from living an authentic life.
Tonight, you were, as usual, happy and smiling.
Even through the difficult times, we are all going through, you never give up, you find reasons to smile despite the hardship.
I both respect and admire this.
So much so that, last Christmas, me and Edith Vaillancourt we took the time to stop by your restaurant and leave you a small token of our gratitude, a bottle of homemade kombucha. It was my way of saying “Thank you”, my way of giving back a little bit.
Tonight, you offered to feed me for free. You are like that, a generous soul. And I refused and I paid you.
On my way back home, I thought about my decision. I called you back. I wanted you to understand why. I knew that refusing a gift could be insulting and I said I am sorry… I did not want to insult you by refusing your generosity and being the giver. I asked you if I could explain why I insisted to pay for my meal… The pandemic as been tougher on you and your business than it has been on me and mine… and I want to support you through these hard times.
I told you that, once the pandemic is over, when your business is up, running and thriving, I will accept your generosity but until then, let me be your support… because you fed me all these years…
You know why? Because I want to be like you. I want to care about people. I want to spread joy and happiness. I want to be generous. You are not just a shawarma guy, you feed and inspire people. Go back to your Google reviews and look at the comments: best in town, happy and smiling, great service.
Our connection, our relation is not about business, it’s about being human, it’s about caring about one another.
Although I have known you through bits and pieces of conversations, I feel that I know you more than you think… You feed me every week. To me, you make the best shawarma in the whole world… Why? Because you care.
Because you care…
Please keep doing what you do.
Thank you.
Original post Facebook, February 5, 2021
Martin Pham Dinh 