A Sweet Lesson In Humanity

I recently came across this story that I absolutely love! I know when you read it, you will stop, think and it will change your day!

Many, many years ago , a ten year old boy approached the counter of a ‘soda shop’ and climbed up onto a stool. He asked the waitress: "What does an ice cream sundae cost?"

"Fifty cents," she answered rather abruptly.

The young boy reached deep into his pockets and pulled out an assortment of change, counting it carefully as the waitress seemed to grow even more impatient. She, of course had ‘bigger’ customers to wait on."

"Well, how much would just a dish of plain ice cream be?" the young man asked.

Again, the waitress responded with noticeable irritation in her voice, "Thirty -five cents."

This time, the young fellow slowly counted his money. "May I have some plain ice cream in a dish then, please?" He gave the waitress the correct amount, and she brought him the ice cream, still with a frown on her face.

Later, after he had left, the waitress returned to clear the boy’s dish and when she picked it up, she felt a lump in her throat. There on the counter the boy had left her two nickels and five pennies. She realized that he did indeed have enough money for the sundae, however he sacrificed it so that he could leave her a tip.

The moral: Before ever passing judgment, first treat others with courtesy, dignity and respect.

This was adapted from " A Lifetime of Success" Pat Williams and Felming H. Revell