Sunday, March 13, 2011
My wife used to cook at Big Cedar Lodge, a world-class resort near Branson, Missouri. I often used to sit behind the Worman Steak house, one of their top eateries, waiting for her to finish her shift at night. Last night, we had reservations there.
Earlier in the day, we spent some time at Branson landing, a favorite hangout of ours. It’s an outdoor mall right on the shore of Lake Taneycomo, and we’ve always enjoyed the atmosphere. It just seems like people are usually happy there.
On a day when we were restoring the night of the tornado, and the damaging years that followed, being in a place where people are happy seemed incredibly appropriate. We spent a few hours on the landing, then headed south toward Big Cedar.
I had not only made a reservation for a specific table, but had let them know who we were and why we were going there on that specific night. I wasn’t necessarily expecting extra special treatment, since their service is always impeccable, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.
We had an amazing dinner, and did seem to receive some extra attention from the staff. As we watched the sun set over the lake, we also received two complimentary Champagne flutes with the Big Cedar logo and the year inscribed on them.
We had our picture taken on the balcony outside as another keepsake before heading home. It was a beautiful night, and just what we needed.
That’s the point of the restoration tour. It’s not just an idea, but it’s taking specific actions to replace the old, bad memories with new, positive ones. Instead of seeing March 12 as a traumatic day that altered our lives for the worse, we can remember March 12 as a night of celebration and beauty.
The Restoration Tour 