Stranger looks on as Mum begins to cry when she picks up her food bill
As a parent we're faced with many situations we wouldn't normally have had to comprehend.
Once upon a time we used to go for brunch with mates, or go on dates to fancy restaurants without needing to plan three weeks in advance.
Nowadays, we need to either make sure there's a kids menu or we have a reliable babysitter who won't be calling looking to run out the door after five minutes of experiencing the terrible twos.
But to be honest, there is nothing that will melt your heart more than watching a family try to spend quality time at a cafe or restaurant.
Half melting due to the fact you're jealous, the other half because you know that it's not as easy as it looks.
Katherine Backstrom was sitting in a local cafe, when she noticed a young couple and their little tot having, what was supposed to be, a relaxing breakfast.
But naturally, their toddler was having none of it.
She was so far removed from the whole scenario, her parents had to take turns trying to placate her while the other would try to gulp down their meal.
The Mom Babble writer revealed: "They were fierce in gentleness, addressing an impossible situation with patience and grace that I could never dream of achieving."
"But Mum kept smiling and redirecting. Dad kept walking outside and bouncing his daughter on his hip."
"And after about thirty minutes of this, I watched as this awesome team of parents finally raised their hands up in frustration and called it."
Mum and Dad eventually gave up after persevering for so long, it was time to call for the cheque and get out of there.
It made Katherine remember how often she's been in the same situation, how no matter what way you plan your day, when you have children it doesn't matter because it's bound to go sideways.
But because she knew how they were feeling, she completed an act which came natural to her: "I paid their tab when they weren't looking, and wrote a quick and encouraging note on the receipt."
The mum-of-two didn't share her story to gloat of her kindness toward the young couple though, she had something more important she needed to get off her chest.
"Over the years, people have served grace to my family in moments we needed it most desperately. I could literally buy a stranger's breakfast every day for the rest of my life and never fully pay it back."
"But I will try. This morning, I expected to pay a check, smile quietly as they received the receipt, and move on with my day."
Nonetheless, that's not what happened; as Katherine looked on at a young mother crying to her husband in the parking lot when she viewed the bill and accompanying note.
Katherine's small gesture opened her eyes to acknowledge we never know the way in which other people are 'hurting, struggling, suffering'.
"This lady was so well put-together. She kept a stoic face throughout the entire ordeal and I would have NEVER guessed she was at her breaking point."
But she was; just as plenty of people in this world are during times we think they couldn't appear stronger: "There are millions of people on this earth who are at their breaking point, and most of the time we don't know who they are."
"Everyone is fighting their own silent battles, and this is one more reason we should always choose kindness."
"Make kind choices today. You won't always see the results of your kindness. I usually don't. But, today I did. And that brief encounter reminded me of the dire importance of this simple message: KINDNESS MATTERS.
Because if you make one simple kind gesture today, you never know when it will return to you, and it will most likely be when you need it most too.