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… standing in line.

A friend of mine and her husband went for breakfast on a Sunday morning at a small café near their home. As they finished eating, they noticed there were quite a few people waiting for tables. One of these was an elderly woman who was by herself and was dressed up in her Sunday best. It quickly became apparent that this woman had difficulty walking. A few minutes later, the hostess called out the name of a husband and wife, who appeared to be in their forties, for a party of two to be seated. The husband responded to the hostess with, “No, let’s have her eat with us,” as he pointed to the elderly woman. As my friend and her husband were leaving, they walked past this table and could hear the people introducing themselves to each other—they had never met before. My friend then touched the husband and said, “That was a very kind thing you just did.” He turned to her and smiled. What makes this situation so special is that it took place a crowded restaurant filled with people who didn’t know each other, and someone found a way to show kindness to a complete stranger.