This is a sweet and wonderful story that I am so excited to tell you about because it is a reminder to all of us that kindness is a very good thing. Ashley England went to dinner with her family on Friday at at the Stag n Doe, in China Grove, North Carolina. Her 8-year-old son, Riley, who has special needs, started getting rowdy. "Riley was getting loud and hitting the table and I know it was aggravating to some people," England told a local news station. Now any mother, even a mother whose child does not have special needs, knows what it's like to get the stink eye from people when your child is acting up. It can be downright mortifying to deal with all that judgment. I imagine that England must have felt like a spotlight was shining on her when Riley was being rowdy, but fortunately not everyone at the restaurant was aggravated. One stranger went out of their way to show the family some kindness and understanding.
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A waitress walked over to England's table with tears in her eyes and told England that another customer had paid for the family's dinner and had left them a note. The note said, "God only gives special children to special people." Isn't that just one of the nicest gestures EVER?
England could not help but tear up. "They made me cry, blessed me more than they know–I felt like out of all the rude negative comments that we are faced with–these outweighs them," she said. "The people who care!"
At 8 years old, Riley is non-verbal and has been through three brain surgeries for epilepsy. I believe that he and his family are special, but I also believe that it takes a special person to go out of their way to be kind to strangers. Let's all be special.
Image via Ashley England
