This waitress’s act of kindness is a perfect example of how the smallest good deeds can have the biggest impact on people.
Courtney Ruth Pedigo has been praising her Olive Garden waitress after the woman came to her rescue during dinner last month.
Pedigo had been getting ready to enjoy a meal with her father, stepmother, and her 18-month-old daughter Harlynn when the toddler started to get fussy. When the youngster continued to spend the dinner trying to escape from her mother’s lap and causing a ruckus, Pedigo admitted to feeling pretty overwhelmed.
“She did everything but sit in her high chair and eat her dinner like I picture in my dreams,” says the exasperated mother.
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Pedigo then approached her server, Nianni Rudder, and asked if she could get her food in a to-go box so she could eat it in her car with Harlynn.
To Pedigo’s surprise, Rudder firmly said no.
“No, she’s not bothering anybody,” Rudder told Pedigo as she recalled to CBS News. “You’re going to go over there, you’re going to enjoy your dinner with your family, and I’m going to be over there in a second.”
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True to her word, Rudder returned minutes later with a bowl of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. As Pedigo finally go to dig into her meal – which she gleefully emphasized was “still hot” – the waitress spoon-fed ice cream to the toddler. She even wiped down Harlynn’s mouth and hands with a napkin whenever she made a mess.
The family chatted with Rudder throughout dinner, and they were stunned to hear that in addition to being a waitress, she was also going to school full-time to become an anesthesiologist. On top of that, she had been recovering from the recent death of her mother.
Pedigo was so moved by the woman’s compassionate and determined personality, she made a Facebook post to publicly thank her for her kindness.
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“Girl, you will never truly know how appreciative I am for tonight,” wrote Pedigo. “I seriously admire you, not only because you took the time to bribe my bratty little human with sweets so I could eat, but because you are so so strong! I know your mom is looking down from Heaven with the BIGGEST smile [because she is] so incredibly proud of the woman you are.
“I aspire to be the go-getter you are, and like I told my dad on our way home, it has to take someone with a strong heart and mind to do what you do because I know I couldn’t! Thank you for your amazing service and for being so kind to us all!”
Be Sure And Share This Inspiring Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Courtney Ruth Pedigo