Sometimes the opportunity to help someone comes when you least expect it. For Tim Chantarangsu, the narrator of the story below, the opportunity to extend kindness presented itself in a McDonald’s alongside a refill of Sprite.
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It all started when a man walked into the restaurant with a little 3-year-old and abruptly passed him off to a woman who had been sitting there for over an hour.
I sit here at McDonalds, drinking a sprite. Okay, it’s my third sprite. And the lady in the corner…waits. She’s been here since before I got here. In walks a man with a small boy, maybe 3 years old if that. ‘You were supposed to be here an Hour ago.’ she says , slightly upset. ‘Well I’m here and here he is.’ The man turns to walk out the door. She says, ‘Hey do you have a couple dollars so I can get a cheeseburger? All I have is enough for his happy meal.’ He looks around to see if anyone is watching. ‘Screw you, Starve.’
He says and walks out the door. She just shakes her head and walks to the counter with the boy. She orders a happy meal for the boy. The teen at the counter tells her her card left a balance of 37 cents. She and the boy walk to her car where she digs and finds the change.
She and the boy sit down with the happy meal, and she sets up his food and his tiny drink cup. She asks him if mommy can have a fry, to which he feeds her the one he just took a bite off of.(I kinda chuckled to myself.)
I walk to the soda machine and refill my cup, Powerade this time. And the teen from the counter is refilling the napkins. I hand him my debit card with my sharpie I use at work.
Keep your head up and always push forward. You CAN. You WILL.
“
He brings me my debit card. Then walks back to the counter and takes the tray of food to her. He says ‘This was bought for you.’ ‘By who?’ ‘I’m not supposed to say, but it wasn’t me.’ He says and walks back to the counter.
She reads the note on the napkin as tears start to roll down her cheeks. She fills the drink cup and starts to eat. The child trades her a chicken nugget, for a bite of the burger.(I chuckle again.)
After they both finish their meal, they start to leave. They walk passed me sitting here and I smile at the boy and look at her and she whispers “thank you” I whisper back “for what?” She smiles. I wink. I look down at the boy and I say have a good day.
Life is hard. Always be willing to make someones life a little easier. Little things make a big impact. For any single parent stuck in a similar place… Keep your head up and always push forward. You CAN. You WILL.
Sometimes the smallest gesture can change someone in magnificent ways. So be on the lookout.
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