You never forget the first time someone makes you feel less than. For me, it happened at a friend’s dinner table when I was twelve. Her mother yelled at me for holding my knife “wrong,” publicly humiliating me and implying my family wasn’t “normal.” That moment of sharp shame could have broken me, but instead, it became a catalyst for my entire life. It lit a fire in me to never feel that powerless again.
I channeled that embarrassment into determination. I worked through high school, studied hard, and put myself through college. I even took a free etiquette class not because I believed forks and knives defined a person’s worth, but because I never wanted to be in a position where someone could use them against me. I built a successful career and eventually started my own catering business, “Kind Hands,” named for the idea that kindness matters more than perfection.
Years later, I found myself face-to-face with the same woman who had humiliated me, now hiring me to cater her event. She didn’t recognize me, and I didn’t remind her. The power dynamic had completely shifted; I was no longer a scared child but a business owner. When I later told my story at a school event she attended, the circle was complete. The experience taught me that true strength isn’t about knowing which fork to use; it’s about building your own table where everyone is welcome, and where kindness is the only rule that matters.
