Heartwarming photos of restaurant server sitting with 91-year-old veteran go viral
Customers couldn't help but notice a heartwarming interaction between a restaurant server and a 91-year-old veteran on Saturday and now photos of the moment are captivating thousands of people on social media.
Lisa Meilander was out to dinner with her family on Saturday night at the Belle Vernon, Pa. restaurant, Eat'n Park. She shared on Facebook that she didn't see the man, known as Frank, come in, but she did notice that he was sitting alone when server Dylan Tetil got down on one knee to be able to see him face-to-face and to help Frank hear him better.
"He talked about how he lost his hearing during his time in the war. He was 91 years old with many stories to tell," Meilander wrote in her Facebook post. "Dylan patiently listened giving him his full attention."
According to Meilander's post, the man said, "I'm alone now, and I don't often have someone to talk to."
“[I] listened to some of his stories,” Tetil told KDKA, adding that the man was one of the nicest people he's met at work. “He was talking about the war, some of the injuries he had, the places he’s been, his family. Tears were just running down his face. You can just tell this man hasn’t had a true, caring person to talk to in a long time.”
Tetil said he enjoyed their conversation and took his order to the kitchen. Meilander attempted to pay for the man's meal, but Tetil told her that someone else in the restaurant had already taken care of it.
"After the man received his food Dylan came back to say he was on a break. He asked if he could sit with the gentleman as he ate," Meilander wrote. "As we left the restaurant the two of them were conversing and many people seated nearby were smiling. It was a touching sight."
The post has been shared more than 65,000 times.
“I believe you giving someone five minutes of your day could completely rearrange how they look at life itself honestly," Tetil said. “That’s how I think the world should operate and the world would be a better place."
Dylan Tetil did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment.
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