Last night, we went out to dinner at Olive Garden. My mom, who’s 79 years young, chose to sit at the corner of the table where she felt most comfortable—she liked having a bit of open space in case she needed to get up during the meal.

When our food arrived, I was chatting with my 15-year-old sitting across from me. I glanced to my left to check on my mom—and what I saw completely caught me off guard. Our server, Susie, was standing beside her, cutting her steak.

I was genuinely moved. I immediately thanked Susie, and she simply smiled and said, “It’s no problem—I don’t mind. I have grandparents too, and I know how it can be sometimes.” My heart was full. As she gently asked my mom, “Is this okay? Want me to cut this piece a little smaller?” I could feel tears welling up.

Susie spent a good three minutes cutting the meat into small, manageable pieces. My mom kept turning to me with the biggest smile on her face, and I smiled back, just overwhelmed with emotion.

Afterward, I made sure to let her manager know what Susie had done. I told him how grateful I was and how impressed I was by the kindness she showed. What she did came from the heart—something you can’t teach in training. In a time when genuine service seems harder to find, Susie stood out in the best way possible.

She absolutely deserves to be recognized. Moments like these remind us that compassion still exists—and it makes all the difference.