A Kindness I’ll Never Forget: Jazz and the 4-Piece Meal

<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"549" data-end&equals;"681">Tonight&comma; something simple and powerful happened — the kind of moment that sticks with you and quietly restores your faith in people&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"683" data-end&equals;"925">I was just stopping in for dinner&comma; nothing fancy&period; Just a 4-piece chicken meal on Garners Ferry&period; I placed my order&comma; ready to pay and be on my way&period; But when I stepped up to the counter&comma; the young woman ringing me up surprised me with the words&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote data-start&equals;"927" data-end&equals;"949">&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"929" data-end&equals;"949">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;No&comma; sir&comma; I got it&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"951" data-end&equals;"982">I blinked&comma; a little confused&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote data-start&equals;"983" data-end&equals;"1018">&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"985" data-end&equals;"1018">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What&quest; Are you serious&quest;” I asked&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1020" data-end&equals;"1045">She smiled and replied&comma;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote data-start&equals;"1046" data-end&equals;"1084">&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1048" data-end&equals;"1084">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Yeah&comma; I gave you my employee meal&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1086" data-end&equals;"1222">Her <strong data-start&equals;"1090" data-end&equals;"1107">employee meal<&sol;strong>&period; The one thing she gets to eat during her shift&period; And she gave it to me — a complete stranger — without hesitation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1224" data-end&equals;"1426">I stood there for a moment&comma; half in shock&comma; half smiling&period; It wasn’t just the food — it was the gesture&period; The heart behind it&period; The kindness of someone who didn’t need to give anything… but chose to anyway&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1428" data-end&equals;"1540">So I told her&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;If you won’t let me pay&comma; then at least let me take a picture with you and share what you did&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<blockquote data-start&equals;"1542" data-end&equals;"1599">&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1544" data-end&equals;"1599">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What’s your name&quest;” I asked&period;<br data-start&equals;"1572" data-end&equals;"1575" &sol;>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It’s Jazz&comma;” she said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1601" data-end&equals;"1722">Jazz — thank you&period; You really made my night&period; And I meant it when I told you this&colon;<br data-start&equals;"1681" data-end&equals;"1684" &sol;><strong data-start&equals;"1684" data-end&equals;"1722">You’ve got a regular customer now&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<hr class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1724" data-end&equals;"1727" &sol;>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1729" data-end&equals;"1756"><strong data-start&equals;"1729" data-end&equals;"1756">The Power of Small Acts<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"1758" data-end&equals;"1999">We live in a world where people are often too busy&comma; too tired&comma; or too burdened to look up and see one another&period; But then someone like Jazz comes along&comma; reminding us that kindness doesn’t require wealth or big gestures — just a generous heart&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"2001" data-end&equals;"2128">Her small act turned an ordinary dinner into an unforgettable moment&period; One I’ll carry with me&comma; and now&comma; one I get to pass along&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<hr class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"2130" data-end&equals;"2133" &sol;>&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"2135" data-end&equals;"2172">🍗 <strong data-start&equals;"2142" data-end&equals;"2172">A Note to Everyone Reading<&sol;strong><&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"2174" data-end&equals;"2239">If someone’s made your day a little brighter&comma; <em data-start&equals;"2220" data-end&equals;"2236">tell the story<&sol;em>&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"2241" data-end&equals;"2320">These are the moments that matter&period; These are the people who deserve to be seen&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"2322" data-end&equals;"2401">💬 <strong data-start&equals;"2325" data-end&equals;"2352">Have a story like this&quest;<&sol;strong><br data-start&equals;"2352" data-end&equals;"2355" &sol;>Drop it in the comments — I’d love to hear it&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"2403" data-end&equals;"2499">📍<strong data-start&equals;"2405" data-end&equals;"2425">In Columbia&comma; SC&quest;<&sol;strong><br data-start&equals;"2425" data-end&equals;"2428" &sol;>Stop by Garners Ferry and support the crew that hires people like Jazz&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"" data-start&equals;"2501" data-end&equals;"2622">➡️ <strong data-start&equals;"2504" data-end&equals;"2544">And most of all — be someone’s Jazz&period;<&sol;strong><br data-start&equals;"2544" data-end&equals;"2547" &sol;>Because you never know who needs that little moment of unexpected kindness&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Original short story&colon;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">Tonight&comma; my 4-piece chicken dinner was on the house&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">When I went to pay for my meal&comma; the sweet cashier simply wouldn’t let me&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;No&comma; sir&comma; I got it&comma;” she said&comma; smiling&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What&quest; Are you serious&quest;” I asked&comma; surprised&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Yeah&comma; I gave you my employee meal&comma;” she replied&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">Her employee meal&excl;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">I stood there for a moment&comma; frozen in shock&comma; with a half-smile on my face&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">So&comma; I told her if she wouldn’t let me pay&comma; I insisted on taking a picture with her to share her kind act with everyone&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What’s your name&quest;” I asked&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It’s Jazz&comma;” she said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Thank you&comma; Jazz&period; You really made my night&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">And one thing’s for sure&&num;8230&semi; this place on Garners Ferry just got a regular customer from now on&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start">You don’t forget kindness like that&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;