A single mom at a North Carolina Pizza Hut was surprised and touched when after a rough night out with her kids, a stranger picked up the tab for the family’s dinner .
This is the second random act of kindness we’ve seen in a North Carolina pizza joint, and the last we recall also involved a family with special needs kids having a rough time in public and a stranger offering a helping hand instead of harsh words.
A local ABC affiliate received a letter from the woman relaying the story from Durham, where the kind act occurred. The woman’s name isn’t mentioned, but the do-gooder who picked up the tab is identified by his first name, Jake.
The station reports:
“The Raleigh woman said the past few years have been very trying for her family. She is going through a messy divorce, has had to move several times, and her college student had to take a year off from school. She said recently she found out that her 4-year-old daughter has bullying tendencies, and her 6-year-old son is living with Asperger’s and ADHD.”
The anonymous single mom admits that she was struggling with the behavior of her son — whose medication to soften his symptoms had worn off earlier in the evening.
She pre-apologized to the young man who later left the sweet note, saying that she hoped the family wouldn’t be too much of an interruption to him.
However, after the mom and kids went to pay the bill, staff informed her that the man — who had left earlier — asked for a pen and paper and jotted down a note to the woman.
It read:
“I do not know your back story, but I have had the privilege of watching you parent your children for the past 30 minutes. I have to say thank you for parenting your children in such a loving manner.. I have watched you teach your children about the importance of respect, education, proper manners, communication, self control, and kindness all while being very patient. I will never cross your path again but am positive that you and your children have amazing futures.”
The note continued:
“Keep up the good work and when it starts to get tough do not forget that others may be watching and will need the encouragement of seeing a good family being raised. God bless! -Jake”
The video above is really worth a watch — as the woman’s real struggle with feeling judged is so mitigated by the man’s simple understanding and kind words.
In addition to paying for the single mom’s Pizza Hut tab, the young man in the Durham chain restaurant also purchased a Pizza Hut gift card for the struggling family.