Working as a server in a restaurant can be a thankless job at times. You’re expected to keep a smile on your face as you’re consistently met with rude or off-putting individuals who expect you to either move at lightning speed or be a full-blown mind reader.
This video shared by Wonderbot on YouTube tells the story of a kindhearted waitress who served a grumpy senior man for years, and when he abruptly stopped coming in, she would soon receive a visit that would forever change her life.
Melina Salazar from Brownsville, Texas, had been a server at Luby’s Kitchen Table practically her entire adult life. She really loved coming to her job every day and felt as though the staff and regular customers were like family.
When Melina came across customer Walter “Buck” Swords, an 89-year-old World War II veteran, she felt a special connection to him despite his curmudgeonly attitude.
Walter was not well received by other members of the serving staff at Luby’s because he was known to be difficult and make impossible demands. Despite all of that, though, Melina felt the urge to kindly proceed with Walter every day and continue to be patient and courteous with him.
Approximately seven years after Walter started coming in — Melina being his server the entire time — his visits suddenly stopped. This worried Melina because she had come to learn over the years that Walter did not have family close by, and he was not one to venture off on long vacations.
It was only when she picked up a local newspaper and saw his obituary that she knew Walter had passed away. She felt sad about never seeing Walter again, but Melina did her best to carry on at work.
A few months down the line, she received a surprise visitor at work who turned out to be none other than Walter’s lawyer.
To find out what he wanted with Melina and how her kindness to Walter paid off, watch the video.
