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A Student That He Taught 10 Years Ago Left A $3,000 Tip For A Waitress In His Honor

April 29, 2015

It all comes back to kindness.

In 2012, Richard and Samantha Specht suffered a devastating loss: their 22 month-old son, Rees, drowned in their backyard pond.

ReesSpechtLife.com

The Specht family couldn't bear to look at the pond and had a local nursery filled it in for them. The nursery turned it into a beautiful garden, free of charge.

"People were so kind to us when we lost him, and they wouldn't take any money from us," Samantha Specht told FOX Chicago. "[Rees] always wanted to make everybody happy, so we wanted to do that for others."

This act of kindness inspired the Specht family to make others happy in their time of need. They started the ReesSpecht Life foundation to encourage acts of kindness with "Pay It Forward" cards, which you can order for free online.

In two years, over 100,000 cards have circulated, but this most recent one has taken it to a whole new level.

"A couple of nights ago I received a short email with a cryptic message line from a young lady who shared with me that she had something big to share with us but wished to remain anonymous in doing so," Richard wrote on his blog. "The name wasn't familiar and to be honest I wasn't sure whether or not it was spam. I almost didn't respond but a little voice in my head told me to send an inquiry back to her. It took about a day to get a response, and when I opened the email I realized it was exactly as she said… it was BIG."

It was a photo of a $3,000 tip accompanied by a note that reads:

"Thank you for your kindness and humility. My teacher in middle school had such a difficult experience a few years ago which has sparked me to do this. My only requirements are:

1) Go to ReesSpechtLife.com and learn!
2) Don't let “Pay it forward” end with you.
3) Since it's about the idea and not about you, or me, if you decide to share this, don't use either of our names!

Thank you for being around for all of my shows on and off Broadway. I hope that someday someone gives as much love and happiness into the world as you do."

In staring at the receipt and note, Richard, a science teacher, realized it was from a former student.

"I immediately recalled who he was and realized that I had him at least ten years ago. To think that someone I had a decade ago would honor my little boy or even remember his 8th grade science teacher in such a way blows me away.... what I received last night was affirmation that I made a difference in that young man's life, and in return he honored my little boy with a gesture that is almost unfathomable. That is all any of us really ever wants, isn't it?"

(H/T) Hello Giggles. Visit ReesSpechtLife.com to start spreading kindness.