Mary Keaulana-Riotutar had been struggling to make ends meet. She’s a hard-working waitress at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen in Laredo, Texas, and always tries to put a smile on her customers’ faces.
The young woman was born in Hawaii but relocated to Laredo on her own. She had left home for over six years and hasn’t been able to afford a trip back ever since she left.
Mary missed the Hawaiian atmosphere, but more importantly, she missed her family.
“So I’ll start by saying if you all know me I’m not from Laredo, I’m from Hawaii & well I haven’t been home in about 5 or 6 years. I miss my mom, my family, the food, the aloha, everything & well I talk about it all the time,” Mary posted on her Facebook page.
Mary’s colleagues at the restaurant heard about her dream to go back to Hawaii to visit her family.
They came up with a sneaky yet heartwarming plan and decided to surprise her.
Her co-workers saved up bits of cash for a couple of months until they had gathered enough to pay for a plane ticket to Hawaii. Such a heartwarming act of kindness and pure generosity, and the staff was thrilled to finally reveal the surprise in person.
One day, someone told Mary that they had a ‘little surprise’ for her. She entered the kitchen and was shocked to see everyone standing there.
“I wish you the very best on your trip home,” one of them said.
It didn’t take long before Mary realized what her colleagues had been up to all this time. She’s overcome with emotion and can’t hold back her tears knowing that she’ll be able to go back to Hawaii after all those years.
“There are no words to express my gratitude,” she said. “So! Last week people that I haven’t even known for more than one year, my coworkers and friends decided to give me the biggest blessing that I have EVER received…a flight home!!! & as I’m typing this I can’t even find the words to describe how I feel or how to thank each & every person who pitched in for ME!”
“I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with, but for those who are closest to me know that I’m ALWAYS gonna be there to help you WHENEVER you need help, support, or just a friend to talk to. So for this to happen to ME I can’t even believe it. Thank you my cheddars family for sending me home to my beautiful momma.”
You can clearly see that this was an emotional moment that will be remembered for a long time. These aren’t just Mary’s co-workers, they’re Mary’s second family.
“To me my job isn’t just a plain & boring job I’ve always loved working here & I guess the only reason why i survived this long without my blood family, my momma is because of these blessed souls & my best friends out of work. We have our motto “One Cheddars” & I never really took it to heart until they gave this to me. & from this night on I could never EVER be ungrateful for anything. I love you all so much beyond words can even explain.”
Her colleagues Celeste, Kassy, Lizzy, and Sam also created a GoFundMe page to fundraise more money for her travels.
“Over the short time we’ve come to know each other, the unexplainable love for her momma and Hawai’i has definitely left a mark in our hearts as we all can definitely resonate with the love we have with our own loved ones. We are choosing to fundraise for her homecoming because Mary is the hardest worker we know – giving it her all in everything she does while spreading so much love and kindness. If there’s anyone that deserves this, it’s her. Our friend, Mary.”
“Mary we love you so much and you have truly made a mark in all of our hearts! We see God’s hand over your life and the impact you’ve made, not only in our restaurant but in our lives! Have fun during your trip home!” the four friends posted.
What an amazing act of kindness! Be sure to check out the heartwarming video of the surprise reveal and Mary’s reaction below.
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