Mom, Lauren Nordberg was shocked when a complete stranger did something so kind for her and autistic son, that it restored her faith in humanity.
On January 18, Nordberg was taking her 6-year-old son Elliot for lunch at their favorite restaurant, Madison Diner, in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Elliot had just finished at the dentist, and mom promised if he was good, she would take him there for some pancakes.
It happened to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day that day, and the diner was more packed than usual, so Lauren and Elliot weren’t able to sit at their regular table. This didn’t sit well with Elliot..
“On top of all the chaos, I forgot to bring his ‘calm down tools’ — headphones, games, iPad,” Nordberg told TODAY.com. “Once we got seated in the wrong spot, it was just a recipe for escalation.”
In an attempt to escape the nasty looks that Nordberg was getting during Elliot’s meltdown, she took him outside to try and calm him down.
“Without the calm down tools, there’s not a whole lot I can do to calm him down,” Nordberg said. “He was fine once we went back inside and the food came, but after he ate, he freaked out again.”
Nordberg asked for the check, and when the owner Cyndi Moody brought a note over to her, she was floored:
A stranger had paid for their bill, and wrote a note saying, “Have a great day! You are doing a wonderful job! 
God bless From a mother who knows.”
Mom was so overwhelmed, she started hysterically crying. She today TODAY.com,
“I’m used to getting stared down, not used to getting my lunch paid for and having someone write a note to demonstrate compassion. He has autism, so no matter what I do it’s not going to change him.”
She continued saying that she and her husband are used to having strangers vocalize their opinions are how they should parent Elliot. “Without knowing the circumstances, people have told me to punish him, spank him, tell me that he needs to learn respect. So to have a mom not judge me, but instead tell me I’m doing a good job was a huge moment for me,” Nordberg said.
As much as she wished she could have thanked the compassionate woman who paid for her bill, she’s happy she kept it anonymous because she’s “viewing the world now with much more respect for humanity.”
Watch Lauren’s video below and please SHARE this incredible story with your friends on Facebook!
[Featured Image Credit: Facebook- Lauren Copp Nordberg]