Waiter Desperate to Visit Family in Ireland Gets a Huge Shock When He Sees Stranger's Note on Receipt

A handwritten note on a restaurant receipt shows the 0 tip given by a diner named Jeffrey to a waiter from Ireland who wanted to return home for the holidays. (Facebook/Taryn Keith)

Who says random acts of kindness are a thing of the past? A waiter named Ben Millar, who hails from Ireland and is currently working at a restaurant in Texas, got the surprise of his life when a total stranger gave him a generous $750 tip so that he can return home to his family for the holidays.

The heartwarming news was first shared in Facebook by Taryn Keith, the waiter's girlfriend. "My boyfriend got this tip last night at work. He's from Ireland and is trying to take us back there once Killian is born so we can meet his family. Thought I would share it to show everyone that's there is not only hate out there. Truly blessed," she wrote on the post.

Keith then told The Huffington Post that she is expecting a baby late this January. When her boyfriend shared his problem to a diner named Jeffrey and his family, he was surprised to receive a big tip alongside Jeffrey's $122.87 tab. "Hopefully this can get you back to Ireland for the holidays," the  handwritten message reads.

"I jokingly said, 'I wish I could go back that often to see my family,'" Millar, who is from Belfast, told ABC News. "I thought nothing of it, and we all joked after. The night went on, and I proceeded to give good service and talk to them."

It was only when the diners left that Millar saw the huge tip Jeffrey had given him. When asked what he is going to do with the money, Millar said he's going to use it to introduce his girlfriend and their new baby boy to his family in Ireland. He hasn't seen them in two years, and is eager to reconnect with them.

Millar added that he has never received a tip quite like the one Jeffrey gave him, and he hopes the generous diner would return to the restaurant so he can express his thanks.

"It means a lot to me, but more to my family back home who will benefit from seeing me again since almost two years," he said, adding that he would "love if Jeffrey could come over when I go back, so I can show him the true Northern Ireland, not just the tourist aspect."

News
Poverty and destitution is driving our mental health crisis - and Christians must act
Poverty and destitution is driving our mental health crisis - and Christians must act

We must acknowledge Britain’s shameful poverty crisis as the major driver of mental illness in this country, says ex-gangster turned bishop.

MSP wants to expand Scotland's controversial abortion buffer zones
MSP wants to expand Scotland's controversial abortion buffer zones

Perhaps one day all of Scotland will be a buffer zone.

Why the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed matters
Why the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed matters

You might be wondering: what does a fourth-century church meeting have to do with me today? Actually, quite a lot.

Calvin Robinson loses priest licence after just 9 days in new denomination
Calvin Robinson loses priest licence after just 9 days in new denomination

The Reformed Episcopal Church has withdrawn its licence from Fr Calvin Robinson, the second such incident in the life of the controversial cleric in just five months.