‘Tis the season for giving — and for one lucky waitress at an Alabama-based Waffle House, it’s also the season for receiving.
When Tanya Ragsdale of Cullman, Alabama, and her friends were randomly seated for their annual Friendsgiving feast — this year at Waffle House — their server, Julia, had no idea what surprise her new table had waiting up their sleeves.
Each of the 12 women brought $100 to the meal to leave as a tip for the server in the spirit of the giving season, which brought Julia to tears after receiving a $1,125.25 tip on a total bill of $74.75.
Ragsdale said that the waitress told the women that she has a 1-year-old at home whose birthday is also around the corner, and, that combined with Christmas approaching has made this time of year hard.
“When I tell you that I have the best friends ever, this is just one of a million things they do that prove it,” Ragsdale wrote in honor of her friends who helped contribute. “Thank you to my girlfriends. I love & cherish each of you.”
Hundreds flooded the comment section of her Facebook post praising the women’s efforts and for being in the giving spirit.
“Just out there making the world a better place,” one user wrote. “I love to hear things like this.”
“Thank you all for thinking outside the box and spreading the giving vibe,” another said.
Many residents also wrote on behalf of Julia, saying that she’s a “sweetheart” which Ragsdale also touched on after she says an elderly customer in the store told her that “this could not have happened to a better or more deserving person.”
During Ragsdale’s Friendsgiving-themed meal last year, her group donated $575.01 to a waitress at Cracker Barrel when their bill was $24.99.
