Working in a restaurant is not easy. I remember bussing tables for years in my early 20s. The physical labor really took its toll on my body. The hours were long and the environment was fast paced and stressful. I would feel like the job was getting the best off me, yet somehow, I felt like I was barely making enough to survive.
Many people have been through a period in their life where they were forced to do this kind of work. One of these people is Cayla Chandara, who lives in Hawaii.
Cayla moved from California to Wakiki, Hawaii, to finish her studies. Sadly, she had to give up her dream of finishing school. You see, Cayla had a student debt to pay off plus just simply couldn’t afford being a fulltime student. She had to put her dreams on hold.
The young lady decided to take time off and work two jobs as a waitress. That way she could save up enough to go back to school in the future. She knew it was going to be tough and take time, but she was determined.
One night, she was serving a friendly group of customers who were visiting from Australia. According to CBS News, the group was made up of two lifelong friends and a 10-year-old girl. They began talking and somehow got talking about Cayla and her life. She filled them in on her story and her aspirations. She found the customers very friendly and politely showing interest in her and her life but didn’t think much else about it.
She was just about to clear the table and collect the tab when she couldn’t believe her eyes. They had left a $400 tip – the tip they left was double the price of the actual total cost of their bill. Talk about generous. I guess Cayla sure had made an impression on these folks.
“I was then at a loss for words and all I wanted to do was hug them,” Cayla told CBS News.
Cayla was overwhelmed with gratitude, she felt like she had to thank these kind strangers somehow. She remembered the hotel they were staying at, so she decided to head over to thank them after work the next night.
“I genuinely wanted to say thank you, I sent a thank you letter saying how much it meant to me.”
After that, she thought maybe she would never see the friendly Australians again. But was she in for a surprise.
The next evening, the lady and the little girl showed up at the restaurant. They wanted to leave yet another tip — this time for $10,000 to help pay off her debt and invest in her college fees. I think the word generous this time is an understatement.
“I initially told them I couldn’t take that offer, but they insisted that it would be just as great for them to do it for me, they told me the best way to thank them is to be my best possible self, dream big and strive for my goals,” she told CBS News.
She is now looking into going back to school in the fall to study business.
“They have truly changed my life, not only financially but in the way I look at things. They are the most beautiful and kind-hearted people I’ve come across and I really look up to them and I can’t wait until they watch me graduate,” Kayla says, adding: “Always be genuine. You will get it right back. Good things happen.”
Cayla’s story is testament that there are indeed good and selfless people out there. Please consider sharing if it moved you as much as it moved us!
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