inclusivity

*Featured image contains photo by cottonbro studioSometimes the world can be a lonely place even when we are surrounded by people. But one elderly woman's world got a whole lot brighter when an unlikely trio of "big burly guys" noticed her dining alone and decided to do something about it. Claire Senglin Richardson, a nurse at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas was out for dinner with her family at Cracker Barrel when she witnessed the heartwarming act unfold. She snapped a quick photo and posted it on Facebook where it went viral. Because faith in humanity? Officially RESTORED.The Act of Kindness Bringing People to TearsIn the post, Claire shared that as she and her family were finishing up their meal when they noticed "an elderly woman sitting all alone, drinking a milk and waiting for her meal."A million thoughts immediately went through her head. "She looked so very lonely.. Is she widowed? Where is her family? Why is she at a restaurant at almost 8pm (which is stereotypically like midnight in old people time)," Claire wrote.Apparently, she wasn't the only one who took notice of the woman. Three "big, burly, middle aged, blue collar, hard working, hungry men" seated beside her did too.While Claire was contemplating whether or not her family should pay for the woman's meal or invite her to sit with them, the men were already one step ahead."I asked Tom if we should buy her dinner or if we should go sit with her... then one of our boys did/said something which momentarily distracted us but when we looked back up, these big burly guys were moving the frail elderly woman to their table."And while the skeptics among us would like to convince us that some people actually prefer eating alone thank you very much, it turns out, this woman was thrilled by the invite. Claire continued to watch the group interact and the pure sweetness of what she saw brought her to tears."The woman was smiling from ear to ear, her face all lit up and she was just a-talking like she hadn’t talked to another human in a very long time." Claire Senglin RichardsonClaire and her husband Tom were so moved by the kindness of the three strangers that they paid for part of their meal and thanked them for "restoring our faith in humanity." The Elderly Woman's Family RespondsHowever, the story doesn't end there. Turns out, the internet is a small, small world. The elderly woman's granddaughter, Shana LeBlanc, saw the post and responded in a comment, writing: "This is my grandmother. These men made her day and knowing this little story has made 'the internet' has her tickled pink." She went on to write, "We all love our grandma and we are lucky and extremely blessed that she is still in our lives."She also explained that the past year had been a "bit rough" on her Grandma Bobbie. The great-grandmother was struggling with aging and it was heartwarming for her family to know that others could be there for her when they couldn't."She loves her grandkids and great-grandkids so much. And we all love her more than words can express. I truly love that there are kind people around loving her also when we can't be with her."And a whole lot of strangers do too. People applauded the men for putting in the effort to make a stranger feel happy and included. "Awesome. I love that there are people like this because I would be too skeptical to invite her over for fear that perhaps she wanted to be alone," one commenter wrote. "Kudos for having the bravery I would hesitate to have!"Another wrote, "My 86 yr old mom (now deceased) had a young neighbor who looked over when I could not be there. These men of integrity and kindness performed a simple act that made a significant difference to that woman."A Lesson in KindnessCracker Barrel is known for its comfort food and "home away from home" feel. According to their mission statement, the restaurant chain cares for its guests "like family."It seems its patrons do too.These three men could have just gone about enjoying their own dinner. Instead, they chose to extend a warm and welcoming hand to someone they felt needed it. They opened their circle and that one small, seemingly insignificant act, ended up making a world of difference. More from Goalcast:Uber Driver Takes a Look at Lonely Elderly Passenger’s Living Conditions – Decides to Give Him More Than Just a LiftLonely and Widowed 82-Year-Old Goes Over to New Neighbor’s House – Little Did They Both Know What Was Coming NextLonely London Newcomer Decides to Start a Club for Other Women Who Are Feeling Alone — Her Club Quickly Gains Thousands of Members