Courtney Ruth Pedigo has been singing the praises of her Olive Garden waitress, Nianni Rudder, after a heartwarming encounter during dinner last month. Pedigo was dining with her father, stepmother, and 18-month-old daughter Harlynn when the toddler became restless. As Harlynn struggled to stay seated, Pedigo felt increasingly overwhelmed. “She did everything but sit in her high chair and eat her dinner like I picture in my dreams,” the frustrated mother remarked.
In the heat of it, Pedigo approached Rudder to request her meal in a to-go box so she could eat in the car with Harlynn. To her surprise, Rudder firmly declined, stating, “No, she’s not bothering anybody. You’re going to go over there, you’re going to enjoy your dinner with your family, and I’m going to be over there in a second.”
True to her word, Rudder soon returned with a bowl of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. While Pedigo finally enjoyed her meal—“still hot,” as she noted—Rudder took the time to spoon-feed Harlynn and clean up any messes.
Throughout their dinner, the family engaged with Rudder, who shared that she was not only a waitress but also a full-time student aspiring to become an anesthesiologist. She had recently been coping with the loss of her mother, which made her kindness even more remarkable.
Moved by Rudder’s compassion, Pedigo took to Facebook to express her gratitude. “Girl, you will never truly know how appreciative I am for tonight,” she wrote. “I seriously admire you, not only because you took the time to bribe my bratty little human with sweets so I could eat, but because you are so strong! I know your mom is looking down from Heaven with the BIGGEST smile, so incredibly proud of the woman you are.”
We may be going through very unspeakable things but it shouldn’t be reason enough to dim the light of our kindness.