Editor:
An extraordinary thing happened to me recently that demonstrated the true kindness and generosity of Sunshine Coasters.
My father-in-law had invited my spouse and me for dinner to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. We have a newborn who we had to bring along, leaving behind the other seven children with our eldest son. We were dining outside on the patio of the Wobbly Canoe. At one point I had to visit the washroom and took my infant daughter with me, who was crying. As I passed through the interior of the restaurant another patron yelled out: “Can’t you keep her quiet!” She said it loudly enough that an awkward wave of silence resonated among the surrounding tables. Taken aback, I politely said: “I am sorry, we are just waiting for our bill.”
What surprised me the most was not the hostility of a stranger, but the extreme act of generosity that followed. Another patron who had witnessed what had happened spontaneously offered to pick up our tab!
When I was made aware of what had transpired, I immediately went back to the restaurant to thank this lady for her generous gift. I had difficulty holding back tears as I was so moved by her kindness and compassion. I will forever have a story to remember of our 16th wedding anniversary when a stranger paid our dinner bill to counter the hostile reaction of another restaurant patron. My heartfelt thanks to this young woman whose altruistic act of generosity spoke volumes to everyone who witnessed her response to unacceptable rudeness.
Frances Maddalozzo, Halfmoon Bay
