If you are a parent, you know how hard it is to enjoy a hearty meal especially when you have a baby and you are eating outside the comfort of your home. Thus, most parents who are with their babies are most likely to order for food to-go and immediately leave restaurants before any chaos occur.
Courtney Pedigo, a 24-year-old mom to an 18-month-old daughter understands this situation very well. Courtney was spending her time with her baby Harlynn, her father, and step-mother in a restaurant while waiting for their meal.
Since the 24-year-old mom is with her dad and step-mom, she knew that she could enjoy her meal since Harylnn could sit on the lap of her parents. Every mom could tell how much Courtney was looking forward in enjoying her warm meal.
Unfortunately for Courtney, her 18-month-old daughter did not want to sit in the lap of her grandfather and step-grandmother, nor in the high chair. Harlynn could not contain herself throughout the meal and constantly tried to get down so she could run and explore around the restaurant.
Not wanting to disrupt nor cause any inconvenience to the other customers inside the restaurant, the young mother stood up and asked the staff to box up her meal so she could eat it inside the car.
However, the 22-year-old Nianni, a restaurant waitress who witnessed what happened, did not let Courtney eat inside the car like she intended to.
“She came out to enjoy a meal with her family, and she should be able to do that. I didn’t think she had to leave or go sit in the car to eat the food because her baby was fussy. They’re little kids, that’s just what they do.” Nianni said, showing a clear understanding and compassion for the situation of every mother like Courtney.
Instead of boxing Courtney’s meal like she had asked Nianni to do, the kindhearted waitress returned with a bowl of caramel ice cream and a spoon. Going beyond her call of duty, Nianni had-fed the 18-month-old Harlynn so that Courtney and the rest of her family could enjoy their hearty meal.
“If that’s all I had to do was sit down and take a couple moments to help this young lady with her baby, I’d do it every day if I could,” Nianni added, expressing how her act of kindness is not much of a big deal for her.
Touched by the kindness and compassion Nianni had shown to Courtney, the 24-year-old mom shared her one-of-a-kind experience on Facebook. These are the words of Courtney which she posted on Facebook, expressing how grateful she is for the compassionate Nianni:
“Tonight my family and I went out to Olive Garden for dinner, and per Harlynn’s usual she did everything but sit in her high chair and eat her dinner like I picture in my dreams. She had me so overwhelmed from letting all of Olive Garden know she was in the house and trying her best to wiggle her way down me to run the restaurant, I had went to find our waitress to ask if she could please bring my food out in a Togo box cause we were going out to sit in the car….She really said NO.
You’re going to go sit down and enjoy your dinner and I will be there to sit with her!” And that’s exactly what she did! She brought Harlynn a bowl of ice cream with caramel syrup and even though harlynn wouldn’t let her hold her, she sat there in my lap and let Nianni Nani Rudder feed her while I ACTUALLY GOT TO EAT MY FOOD WHILE IT WAS STILL HOT!!!!!
Girl, you will never truly know how appreciative I am for tonight. 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 and 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!”
When asked what inspired her to help Courtney, the compassionate Nianni shared that thought she is not yet a mother, she knows how it’s like to deal with fuzzy children. This is due to the time she spent together with her 3-year-old niece.
In addition, Nianni was bold to enact on her kindness because the manager of their restaurant also believes that everyone who dines in their restaurant is a family… and family should always help each other.
Indeed, raising a child is not easy. But the journey of raising a child would not feel like a herculean task if people would be like Nianni, compassionate, understanding, and always ready to help others!
Photos via Facebook : Courtney Ruth Pedigo | Nianni Ruddeer