Family Notices Lonely Elderly Man Eating Alone - What They Do Next Inspired an Entire Restaurant

*Featured image uses photo by Tim Doerfler on Unsplash

Ali and Chris were at a Chinese restaurant in Yarrawonga, a town Victoria, Australia, with their grandkids for Christmas when they noticed an elderly man eating all by himself.

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Something about the sight of the man in his 90s touched their heart and Ali sent her then 8-year-old granddaughter to ask the man -- whose name was Phil -- if he would like to join them for dinner and he agreed.

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Helen, Ali’s sister, shared the story in a touching post in the Facebook group 'The Kindness Pandemic.'

Helen said the kids loved hearing Phil’s stories and interacting with him. “He told stories of his war journey and his wife in the nursing home,” she said.

Ali said she immediately wanted to include Phil because she felt sad seeing him alone.

[She] thought if it was her dad or mom, she hoped someone would include them, too.

Helen

At the end of the evening, Ali also wanted to pay for the elderly man’s meal. But to her surprise, another table had noticed what the family had done and paid for all their meals before leaving the restaurant.

“The fact that another table of people also acted with kindness by identifying a kind gesture and paying for dinner makes this story extra special,” Helen said.

How Being Kind Can Inspire Others to be More Kind Themselves

She confessed that hearing about this act of “double kindness” made her emotional.

I cried when my sister told me what they did. I feel acts of kindness like this is a beautiful thing, it gives faith in humanity back to people.

Helen to The Epoch Times

Helen posted the heartwarming story on The Kindness Pandemic group in hopes that others would do something similar or that the touching encounter would bring a smile to people’s faces.

Helen’s post garnered more than 22,000 reactions and over 1,500 comments.

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Beautiful! I still believe in kindness in this mixed-up world full of challenges. I’m sure he really enjoyed your company and his meal as much as your family enjoyed having him there. Wonderful of the other people to pay for you all. Kindness re-paid.

A follower of The Kindness Pandemic Facebook Group wrote

“Brings tears to my eyes! That dear old man will remember their kindness and the little girl will remember his stories…It is the snowball effect weaving the magic,” another wrote.

What seems like a simple gesture usually means a lot to the receiver. And often, a simple gesture inspires more acts of kindness.

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