Parenting
Being a parent isn’t always easy. Every parent wishes that they raised perfect little angels who are always well-behaved. Unfortunately, this almost never happens. Any parent knows that taking their children out in public is a huge gamble. The kids can be well-behaved angels, or they can become tiny terrors having temper tantrums. Parents with autistic children understand this better than any parent ever will. This is what happened to a woman named Jamie.
Ian
Jamie Matthew Huestess has a son named Ian, who has autism. His condition makes it difficult for him in social situations. It can also turn a minor disappointment into a major meltdown. As much as she loves her son, each day can be trying and frustrating. Because she loves her so much, she wouldn’t change him for the world. She expects certain days to be harder than others. When she took her son to Cracker Barrel one evening, it was safe to say that it was one of Ian’s “bad days.”
A Busy Day
On this particular day, Ian’s day was a busy one. He had a karate class, and then Jamie and her husband took Ian to Walmart. Jamie didn’t want to have to go home to cook, so she and her husband decided to stop at Cracker Barrel to pick up dinner. Shortly after being seated, Ian had his meltdown.
The Incident
When the family sat down, they ordered drinks. Ian’s father had bought him a Finding Dory toy that had mystery figurines. You didn’t know which characters are included with the toy until you open it up. When Ian opened his toy and Nemo wasn’t there, he had a meltdown. Jamie says that the meltdowns aren’t exactly Ian’s fault. He doesn’t know how to express his feelings due to his autism, so he acts out and cries. Jamie and her husband tried to explain to Ian that the toy was the luck of the draw, but he didn’t understand.
Handling the Situation
To keep things from getting worse, Jamie had her husband take Ian home. She was going to get their food to go and put an end to the whole situation as easily as possible. When the waitress came over to the table to take Jamie’s order, she broke down in tears. Her waitress, Kailyn, stood there feeling bad for her. She saw most of what had happened, and her heart went out to Jamie. Kailyn decided to try to cheer Jamie up.
A Helping Hand
Jamie was fighting back her tears while she ordered the food for her family. When Kailyn came back with the food, she told Jamie that there was no charge. It was the first time that Jamie had been able to smile in the last hour. She was so happy about the kind gesture. It wasn’t until Jamie got home that she got Kailyn’s real gift.
The Note
When Jamie got home, she opened up the bag of food for her family when she noticed a note clipped to the bag. It was from Kailyn, and it read, “Your child is amazing Mommy, be strong. Keep your head up. You are doing a great job and have a great night. Your server, Kailyn.” The note meant everything to Jamie. She says that it is nice to hear someone say that Ian is a good kid. It is even better when someone calls her an amazing mother.
Kailyn’s Manager
Back at the restaurant, Kailyn’s manager heard that she was going to pay for the family’s dinner out of her own pocket. He told her to keep the money, and the dinner would be
Posting On Facebook
Jamie was so impressed by what Kailyn did that she posted a photo of the note on Facebook, along with her story about what happened. It wasn’t long until her post went viral. People from all over were liking and sharing the post. Soon, Kailyn was known as the nicest waitress in town. She never expected to be an internet sensation, but that is exactly what happened.
A Perfect End To a Bad Day
This waitress sees a crying mom at Cracker Barrel, leaves
