Tipped To Be A Good Christmas

(I work for a popular chain pizza place as a delivery expert. It’s a week before Christmas and money is extremely tight. My husband and I have three kids between us and we don’t know how or if we are getting them gifts this year. We don’t even have a tree yet. I’m delivering to a frequent customer but this is my first time getting her order. When she opens the door she has three Christmas bows stuck to her shirt.)

Me: “Hello, Mrs. [Customer]. Doing some gift wrapping?”

Customer: *noticing the bows* “Oops, forgot they were there. How much do I owe you?”

Me: “$22.75… Don’t worry about the bows. I’m hoping that I make good money today so I can finally go get some things for my boys.” *note I was just making small talk*

Customer: “You have kids… How many?”

Me: “Between the two of us we have three, ages 18, 17, and 2. They are a handful but darn it we love them.”

(Cue laughter from both of us.)

Customer: “Well, here you go, and a $10 tip for you!”

Me: “Ma’am, thank you. You are my first and possibly only tip today and this is going straight to the boys’ Christmas.”

Customer: “Hey, hold right there a moment. I’m going to be right back.”

Me: *confused* “Okay… I won’t move.”

(She runs into the house and is gone three minutes tops. She comes running back, out of breath.)

Customer: “Here I want you to make the boys Christmas great. Promise me it goes to them and you can take this extra $20 for them, too.”

Me: *in tears at this point* “Ma’am, you have no idea how much you just made my whole year.”

Customer: “I do know how much I made your year, young lady. I raised four kids and worked my butt off for minimum wage and several times I was a delivery driver or waitress. I just finally put my youngest through college. I just want you to make Christmas a pleasant time for the kids so they have great memories when they go to college and leave you like they left me.”

Me: *still crying* “Can I hug you?”

(Laughing at my reaction, the customer hugged me and assured me I will make it through this rough patch. She told me to kiss my boys everyday and love them even when I don’t like them. The amazing woman gave me a $30 tip on a $22 order and I bought each of the boys something special with it that night. Thank you, kind woman! I hope I can help a struggling mother one day the way you helped me.)