About a decade ago, I was working as a waiter in a small restaurant that offered an affordable set lunch. One afternoon, an elderly man entered, glanced at the price, and sighed before turning to leave. Feeling a sense of sympathy for him, I decided to offer him the meal on the house, covering the cost myself. My manager was not happy with my decision and warned that it would lead to more people expecting freebies, but I knew I had done the right thing, and there was no turning back.
That evening, an unassuming man came in, and when he paid, he left me an unexpectedly generous tip. At that time, I was struggling to pay my rent and clear my debts, and that tip was more than enough to cover everything. What seemed like a small act of kindness had turned into a life-changing moment, and I will always remember how it all came back to me when I needed it most.