Mom Shocked By Note On Receipt After Autistic Son Had Public Meltdown
Source: https://goo.gl/We8Qjp
Parents all over the world understand how embarrassing it can be when a child acts up in public. When you have a child with special needs, those episodes can be extremely stressful and can draw a lot of attention from bystanders. One mom recently received a note on her meal receipt after her autistic son had a meltdown in public, and she was shocked by the words written on it.
Cynthia Tipton has been asked to leave restaurants in the past when her son, Noland, would have an episode. Noland has Autism Spectrum Disorder, and like many other children with that diagnosis, he can sometimes have emotional meltdowns triggered by random things that most kids aren’t bothered by.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cynthia and her family were out to dinner at Bandana’s BAR-B-Q in Rock Hill, Missouri when 10-year-old Noland became upset over his older sister, Sophie, joking around with him. Noland began screaming and crying very loudly, attracting a lot of attention from other diners.
Cynthia quickly leaped from her chair and knelt at her son’s side, doing all she could to calm him down, for his sake and so as not to continue disturbing the other people in the restaurant. While gently patting his back, Cynthia whispered into her son’s ear, “You’re being kind of loud. It’s OK, buddy. Sophie was just teasing. Let’s calm down. Let’s be a little quieter. You’re safe.”
In spite of her efforts, Noland’s meltdown lasted for several minutes. Cynthia and her father who was also dining with the family were understandably self-conscious and embarrassed. Thankfully, like a switch had been flipped, Noland’s fit ended as suddenly as it had begun. But, at that moment a waitress was walking toward the Tipton’s table and they assumed that another customer had complained and they would be asked to leave once again.
The waitress did indeed have a message for Cynthia but it was a lot different than what she expected. The waitress handed Cynthia the receipt for the family’s meal and on top was written a note from another customer. “Hi! We couldn’t help but notice what a great mother you are and what a beautiful family you have. God bless,” the note read.
Not only did the other family reach out with kind words to Cynthia, they also paid for her family’s meal. Cynthia was unable to personally thank the people for their kindness because they had already left, but she was so emotionally moved by the gesture, that she created a video to communicate her appreciation.
Being a parent, in the best circumstances, can be an emotionally draining challenge, but when your precious child is affected by certain disorders that most people don’t understand, your stress level can be off the charts.
Next time any of us are in a situation where we might be witness to a similar incident, hopefully, we will reject our instinct to feel annoyed, and instead find compassion in our hearts to also reach out in kindness, even if it’s just with a smile in a frazzled mom’s direction.