The world can seem like a pretty unkind place sometimes, but it's the small acts of kindness that can really make a person's day.
That's what happened to an Australian mom-of-two who was almost brought to tears after a stranger paid for her food bill - and left her heartwarming note.
The mom-of two was dining in a Sunshine Coast cafe with her husband and two young sons, aged three and 15 months.
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She was at the cafe with her family for a quick bite to eat before going to the Sea Life aquarium.
She then noticed a woman on the table next to them reading a book.
She feared that her kids were making too much noise and would disrupt her reading.
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The mother later explained in a Facebook post on the group called The Kindness Pandemic: “I immediately apologised to the lovely lady sitting near us as she had a book and I was afraid the boys wouldn’t be too peaceful."
“We were chatting for a little and then she left after her breakfast.”
The mother soon followed and went to pay her bill only to find that the kind stranger had already paid for her lunch - as well as a handwritten letter.
The note read:"It was such a pleasure sharing my brekkie space with you.
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"Please keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve got a beautiful family."
“Hopefully you can splurge a little more at Sea Life today. Love Em.”
She said she 'almost cried' after reading the note, adding: “She paid for us... And her kind words were what I needed to hear.”
The grateful mother then took to social media so she could personally thank for stranger, known as 'Em'.
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“If you are Em staying in Mooloolaba for work and went to a quirky local that’s your favourite — you are an amazing soul.” she said.
“Thank you, thank you. We will pay it forward.”
The posts were quickly shared around the internet and people gave their reactions to the wholesome interaction.
One commented on the post: “I love this so much... have little tears coming out."
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Another said: " What a beautiful person Em clearly is. This was so gorgeous to read"
While a third said: “Lovely lady. Your children were being just that, children. Don’t apologise about them. I am 82 this year and love the fact that mums and dads can occasionally take their children for breakfast, never happened in my day.
“Enjoy it. Most of us older folk love children and like to see families doing this together.”
Topics: Life, Food and Drink, News