Daughter Yells at Her Weak Old Mom at Restaurant, Shows Her Some Respect after Waitress Steps In — Story of the Day

A daughter who disrespected and humiliated her mom in front of an entire restaurant is taught a lesson by a waitress who decided to step in.

Emily lived with her mother, Rita, who was nearing her 80s. One day, as Emily came home from work, she did not like the food that her mother had cooked for her. "Chicken casserole again? I'm so sick of eating the same thing, again and again, every week," she complained.

"I'm sorry, dear. Our grocery delivery didn't arrive, and we only had chicken left in the fridge. Would you like to head out for dinner?" Rita asked. Emily nodded her head and decided she wanted to eat at her favorite restaurant.

When they got to the restaurant, they were able to get the last vacant table. Emily headed straight towards her seat and watched impatiently as Rita slowly approached their table. "Walk faster! There are people behind you," Emily called out.

Rita looked at her daughter apologetically, struggling to walk as her knees were already weak. After a couple of seconds, she finally made it to her seat, and she plopped down in exhaustion.

Emily called the waitress and immediately ordered, knowing what she wanted already. "What about you, ma'am?" the waiter asked Rita.

Rita was taking a while to look at the menu, and again, Emily was getting impatient. "Come on! Just pick your food already so she can place the order. I'm starving!" she cried out to her mom, who felt pressured to decide.

The truth was that Rita was having a difficult time reading the menu so she said, "I will just have what she's having, sweetheart," and gave the waitress a smile. The waitress nodded and promised to return soon with their orders.

While waiting for their orders, Rita tried to strike up a conversation with her daughter by asking her how her workday went. Emily shrugged. "It was okay, I guess," she replied, before busying herself with her cellphone.

Rita understood that Emily didn't want to talk to her, so she tried to entertain herself by looking around the restaurant and watching all the other families enjoying their food together. When their food arrived, she made sure to thank the waitress. "It looks delicious. Thank you, sweetheart."

While eating, Rita accidentally dropped food on her dress, dirtying it. Emily watched in disgust. "Mom!" she yelled. "Why are you so clumsy? We're not at a fast-food restaurant. Stop being so embarrassing!"

"I'm sorry, dear. My hands shake a lot, as you know," Rita said, trying to wipe the food stain with her napkin, but when she couldn't, she decided to head to the washroom.

It took a couple of seconds for Rita to stand up, and it took even longer for her to walk. It was difficult for her to walk alone, but Emily refused to look at her and just kept using her cellphone.

Meanwhile, their waitress saw everything and shook her head at how mean Emily was being. "Let me help you, ma'am," she told Rita, dampening a napkin with water before wiping the stains off the old woman's dress. Then she held Rita's hand as she walked towards the washroom, so she could freshen up some more.

While serving the other customers, the waitress kept an eye on the washroom door, to anticipate Rita so she could walk her back to her table. When Rita was done, the waitress held her hand again and assisted her until she sat down. "Would you like to order something else?"

Emily shook her head. "That won't be necessary. She already wasted so much money by spilling her food," she told the waitress.

At that moment, the waitress couldn't stop herself from defending Rita. "With all due respect, ma'am, I would do anything in the world to get the chance to take my mom out to a restaurant, or to guide her while walking, but she's already dead. One piece of advice I'd like to give you is not to take your mother for granted," she said.

Rita looked at the kind waitress with tears in her eyes. She wiped her tears with a napkin, then Emily suddenly heard laughter coming from the other tables.

"Mom quit crying! They're laughing at you again," she told Rita. Then a man from the table beside them turned to Emily and said:

"No, ma'am, we're laughing at you. How can you disrespect your mother like that? That waitress taught you a lesson and we hope you learned it."

Emily felt humiliated, but she also realized how wrong it was to treat her mom badly, especially after all the sacrifices Rita made for her. That night, when they got home, she promised Rita that she would be better.

"I'm sorry, mom. I've been selfish, and I haven't been taking care of you properly. I promise you, that I will do better, and you will no longer have a hard time. I love you so much," she said, begging for forgiveness.

Rita forgave her instantly, and they ended the night with a tight, long hug.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don't take your parents for granted. Many people would give anything to see their parents again. Those of us who still have the privilege to be with our parents should not take this gift for granted and instead, make the most out of it.
• Tell people you love them before it's too late. After strangers made her realize how cruel she'd been towards her own mother, Emily decided to become a better daughter. She worked towards taking better care of her mom and showing her she loved her every day.

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