It isn’t every day that we do something kind for someone; however, when we keep our eyes open, opportunities to do good deeds are not hard to find. A business owner found out for himself when he had a surprise encounter at a restaurant.
The gentleman, who wants to stay anonymous, went to a restaurant to sit down and enjoy the chance to unwind. He wasn’t feeling particularly great about his life that day; instead, he was overcome by the exhaustion of his day-to-day existence. As the owner of a landscape company, he just didn’t feel like he had a chance to make much of an impact on anyone’s life. That was soon to change.
When she first entered the restaurant, he noticed that she was a pretty young lady that he guessed to be around twenty-five-years-old. She went to sit down at a booth and was obviously waiting for a friend. Although he didn’t pay much attention to her at first, the man slowly noticed that the young lady looked like she was trying to hide. Suddenly, he was hit by the realization that she was losing her hair and was obviously undergoing chemo treatments. Self-conscious about her appearance, she tried to stay out of view.
The man at the restaurant was no stranger to pain, himself. Within the past few years, this man had also buried his own wife. He tried to imagine the pain and discomfort that the young woman was going through.
He needed to do something to reach out to her. He couldn’t just leave the restaurant without giving her some form of hope. But what could he do that wouldn’t cause additional embarrassment for her?
Suddenly, he was hit by a stroke of genius.
Grabbing a piece of paper, he wrote a quick note to the young lady and then called for a waitress. He explained that he wanted to anonymously pay the bill for both the young woman and her friend, and then gave her the note to pass along.
Watching from his seat, the gentleman was able to enjoy the entire scene as it played out before him.
When the waitress announced that the bill had been covered, the young woman was shocked. When asked who covered the tab, the waitress fibbed that he had already left and then handed her the note.
What did the note say?
The man had crafted a short message that said someone thought she was beautiful, had noticed her smile glowing with excitement, that her eyes lit up the world, and that someone who cared wanted her to know this. He then called her a “pretty young lady” and instructed her to enjoy her day.
Tears streamed down the young woman’s face as she soaked in the message. Suddenly, the effects of chemo no longer had a hold on her; instead, the knowledge that someone thought she was beautiful made her sit up straighter, proud to show herself to anyone who was watching. A smile spread across her face, and she was even prettier than before.
Suddenly, the man who felt that he was unable to make an impact on the world, had changed the entire life of one young woman battling cancer. With just a few dollars to pay for lunch and a short note, he changed her attitude about herself. Maybe this will give her the dose of strength she needs to move forward.
