When a woman from Texas walked into a restaurant, she saw an older woman coming up behind her. She politely held the door open, but she had no idea that it would start a chain of events that would change her life. But after hearing what the other woman said, she had to say something.
Brooke Ochoa of Louise, Texas, was going into a restaurant for lunch when she saw an older woman coming from a distance. Brooke wanted to show a fellow citizen some southern hospitality, so the 30-year-old waited patiently so she could hold the door open for the other woman. While some might call the gesture an act of kindness, it was just good manners and a show of respect. But what happened next is a different story.
After the two women entered the restaurant, Brooke, who was by herself, heard the other woman make a remark to the waitress, according to NY Daily News. Brooke was forced to speak up, even though at first she was hesitant. What unfolded from there was recalled in a Facebook post by Brooke, which quickly went viral. It’s easy to understand why.
“She was very grateful and nice,” Brooke wrote about the woman’s reaction to her holding the door open for her as she went into the restaurant, which she didn’t name. Brooke remembered that she then told the waitress, “Table for one.” After hearing those words, Brooke said she “waited and hesitated” before deciding to walk over to the other woman and do something really kind for her.
“I’m having lunch by myself, too. Would you like to join me?” Today says that Brooke remembered what she told the woman when she invited her to dinner. Brooke’s offer was accepted, and the woman, whose name Brooke found out was Delores, was “ecstatic!”
ABC 6 says that once they were seated together, the two talked for a long time while they ate. The sad details of Delores’s life and the hard times she was going through came out in their conversation. Brooke wrote, “It turned out that she had spent the last 10 years living with her mom, who just died, and her aunt, who just moved into a nursing home.” “It’s been hard for her to be alone.”
Dolores was so happy to have someone she could talk to. “She just kept smiling and saying thank you for listening, which made me smile too!” Brooke admitted. “Her words healed my heart just as much as I healed her lonely one,” she said, adding that her last-minute invitation was “by far the best decision” she had “made all year!” But that’s not the end of their story.
Brooke and Delores both liked the time they spent together so much that they decided to get together for lunch every Thursday after that. We don’t know how many lunches that ended up being, though. Brooke later added to her post to say that Delores had died soon after. This made the story even more touching.
Thanks to Brooke’s love and care, Delores was able to stop feeling lonely at the end of her life and make a positive difference in many people’s lives. With millions of likes and hundreds of thousands of shares and comments, the short encounter touched people all over the country because it reminded us that a real act of kindness can lead to a much-needed friendship.
Even if two people couldn’t be more different, they can still have a good relationship. All you have to do is reach out when you see someone in need. Often, being there is the best gift we can give. An ear to listen doesn’t cost a thing, but the results can be priceless. Brooke found this out when a small voice inside her made her make a simple offer that turned out to be exactly what both women needed — just in time.
That’s the power of God. When they sat down together, neither of them knew that Delores’ days were coming to an end, but we shouldn’t need to know that to share a small part of ourselves with someone else. When we have the chance to be the answer to someone’s prayers, it’s all about opening doors. Brooke Ochoa heard that call when she was compelled to offer a stranger a little company. In memory of Delores, let’s hope that other people will read this story, remember it, and be willing to do the same.