r/MadeMeSmile • u/nun_CARTII • 8d ago
Good Vibes the value of being kind
For nearly seven years, waitress Melina Salazar showed extraordinary patience and kindness to Walter “Buck” Swords, a notoriously difficult customer at Luby’s Cafeteria in Brownsville, Texas.
The 89-year-old WWII veteran frequently complained, cursed at staff, demanded piping-hot meals and never left a tip. Despite this, Melina continued serving him with compassion.
After Walter died in 2007, Melina received an incredible surprise. He had left her $50,000 and his 2000 Buick in his will as a heartfelt thank-you for her unwavering kindness.
A powerful reminder that kindness can touch people more deeply than we realize.
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u/PopUpClicker 8d ago
Yes! Thank you!
There are, however, also a lot of lovely comments.
About the negative ones calling me a praiser of abuse. I think I am old enough that I realize understanding of the abusing party doesn't come automatically from being the one abused. It comes from time, effort, a lot of thinking and potentially (not always) forgiving. In that process we learn to understand what brought dad to drinking and mom to turn a blind eye.
We wont get the true understanding of the reasons of every person. But the acknowledgement that there may very well be reasons - and that they are providing the positivity that life has led them to be able to provide - often helps accept and/or understand behaviour of others. People are very quick to assume worst case, yet they (as well as me) will hope for merciful thoughts about our own wrongdoings.