Kindness AND a free dinner!
Ever had a bad day? I mean a really, really bad day. And then, out of the blue, someone (a complete stranger) does something nice for you and it leaves you in tears. There’a school of thought to never assume you understand why people respond they way they do…maybe something else is going on – so let’s give them a break. Well, that’s exactly what happened at this North Carolina Chick-fil-A drive-thru window and this customer will likely never forget it!
This mom, Carrie Chisholm, was going through the drive-thru with her 3 year-old son, Hughes, hoping to grab something quick to eat as they headed home. As she approached the window to pay, she realized that she did not have her wallet. Embarrassed, Carrie told the female employee working the window about her situation.
The employee quietly told her manager what was going on and he quickly offered her meal for free! Saying, “Just let her know that her meal is going to be on the house tonight and that we’d take care of that for her." WOW.
OK – So, here’s the REST OF THE STORY!
What this employee and manager did not and could not know what this. Carrie was on her way home from the hospital with her 3 year-old son who was born with only 1/2 a heart and his congenital heart condition keeps her in a state of concern, daily.
"I actually thought Hughes was having a heart attack that morning; it was horrible and so scary," Carrie said. They had spent the last several hours in the hospital and were making one quick stop at Chick-fil-A on their way home from this frightening event.
Needless to say, that is why this mom looked so frazzled and had misplaced her wallet.
Later that day, when Carrie regained her composure, she took to Facebook to let her friends know what had happened.
"The workers at this location should get awarded for their professional compassion. They don’t know how much I needed that small act of kindness last night. Having a son with half of a heart is a tough life yet full of many blessings. Thanks for being a blessing to us last night!" she wrote.
The manager, Mr. Hampton said, “We’ve helped people out before but you never hear that means anything to anybody and it makes me feel good that I was able to make her day better and special.”
WOW- what a beautiful story of compassion and acts of kindness. This manager and drive-thru employee could have said, “sorry lady” but they didn’t. And what a blessing for them as well to hear a ‘thank you’ and to better understand how that simple, free, Chick-fil-A helped end her day on a super, sweet note.
Carrie, ‘thank you’ for sharing your story and ‘thank you’ Chick-fil-A for being such great samaritans!!