Tonight, something simple and powerful happened — the kind of moment that sticks with you and quietly restores your faith in people.
I was just stopping in for dinner, nothing fancy. Just a 4-piece chicken meal on Garners Ferry. I placed my order, ready to pay and be on my way. But when I stepped up to the counter, the young woman ringing me up surprised me with the words:
“No, sir, I got it.”
I blinked, a little confused.
“What? Are you serious?” I asked.
She smiled and replied,
“Yeah, I gave you my employee meal.”
Her employee meal. The one thing she gets to eat during her shift. And she gave it to me — a complete stranger — without hesitation.
I stood there for a moment, half in shock, half smiling. It wasn’t just the food — it was the gesture. The heart behind it. The kindness of someone who didn’t need to give anything… but chose to anyway.
So I told her, “If you won’t let me pay, then at least let me take a picture with you and share what you did.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“It’s Jazz,” she said.
Jazz — thank you. You really made my night. And I meant it when I told you this:
You’ve got a regular customer now.
The Power of Small Acts
We live in a world where people are often too busy, too tired, or too burdened to look up and see one another. But then someone like Jazz comes along, reminding us that kindness doesn’t require wealth or big gestures — just a generous heart.
Her small act turned an ordinary dinner into an unforgettable moment. One I’ll carry with me, and now, one I get to pass along.
🍗 A Note to Everyone Reading
If someone’s made your day a little brighter, tell the story.
These are the moments that matter. These are the people who deserve to be seen.
💬 Have a story like this?
Drop it in the comments — I’d love to hear it.
📍In Columbia, SC?
Stop by Garners Ferry and support the crew that hires people like Jazz.
➡️ And most of all — be someone’s Jazz.
Because you never know who needs that little moment of unexpected kindness.
Original short story:
Tonight, my 4-piece chicken dinner was on the house.
When I went to pay for my meal, the sweet cashier simply wouldn’t let me.
“No, sir, I got it,” she said, smiling.
“What? Are you serious?” I asked, surprised.
“Yeah, I gave you my employee meal,” she replied.
Her employee meal!
I stood there for a moment, frozen in shock, with a half-smile on my face.
So, I told her if she wouldn’t let me pay, I insisted on taking a picture with her to share her kind act with everyone.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“It’s Jazz,” she said.
“Thank you, Jazz. You really made my night.”
And one thing’s for sure… this place on Garners Ferry just got a regular customer from now on.
You don’t forget kindness like that.