Kind Woman Explains How Working At McDonald's Is A ‘Privilege’ After A Mom’s Card Declines For A Happy Meal
Her kindness made the customer’s day.
Junpinzon / Shutterstock Financial burdens are plaguing families all around the United States. Parents are struggling to pay their bills, keep their children fed, and have money left over for unexpected emergencies.
It's no wonder that when dinner time comes around, parents often choose the quickest and cheapest option. For many, that means a fast-food restaurant. Quick, convenient, and relatively inexpensive compared to groceries, fast food can be on the table in under 10 minutes.
One mom headed to McDonalds just for that reason. When she went to pay for the meal, though, the unexpected happened.
A kind McDonald's worker gave a mom a free Happy Meal after her card was declined.
A kind woman working at McDonald's shared the story of a mom whose card was declined when she was trying to buy her daughter a Happy Meal. Frustrated, the mom was about to leave, but the worker stopped her and gave her the meal for free.
Small acts of kindness like these can radically change people’s perspectives. The McDonald’s worker, who goes by Morgan on TikTok, shared a video to express her gratitude for her job and for every opportunity she has to make a difference in her community.
“Working for McDonald's is a privilege — because it’s almost Christmas,” Morgan said, “and when a mother comes through the drive-thru and her card declines… I get to be able to give [the Happy Meal] to her.”
Small acts of kindness can make a huge difference in people’s lives, even if it’s just a Happy Meal from McDonald's.
Morgan's small act of kindness helped the mother, especially around the holidays, which can be a tough time even for financially secure families. But this mother was not the only one who benefited. The experience reminded Morgan of her own role in her community and how little things add up to make a big impact.
“Although she has tears in her eyes, I know that she gets to go home with a better day. There’s nothing you can take from that other than gratitude,” Morgan said, finishing her video.
Working in a restaurant, retail, or customer service job is hard, especially during the holidays.
While many commenters commended Morgan for her kindness, the reality for many service industry workers is constant frustration, underappreciation, and rudeness from customers, especially during the holidays.
“Retail is a monster during the holiday season. The closer you get to [the holiday season], the more rude customers get,” @lifeandworkbutbetter shared on TikTok.
Whether we recognize it or not, it can be easy to “auto-pilot” through our days — being passive or rude to anyone we interact with while running errands or picking up food.
Morgan's simple act should be a reminder to everyone that kindness can change someone's life.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.