'I'm alone now': War vet, 91, breaks down in tears to caring young waiter
Customers couldn't help but notice a “touching” interaction between a restaurant worker and a 91-year-old veteran on Saturday. Now photos of the moment are captivating thousands on social media.
Lisa Meilander was out to dinner with her family on Saturday night at a family restaurant in Pennsylvania, US.
She shared on Facebook that she didn't see the man, known as Frank, come in to the Eat'n Park, but she did notice that he was sitting alone when server Dylan Tetil got down on one knee to be able to see him face-to-face, and to help Frank hear him better.
"He talked about how he lost his hearing during his time in the war. He was 91 years old with many stories to tell," Ms Meilander wrote in her Facebook post.
"Dylan patiently listened giving him his full attention."
‘I'm alone now, and I don't often have someone to talk to’
According to Ms Meilander's post, the man said: "I'm alone now, and I don't often have someone to talk to."
“[I] listened to some of his stories,” Mr Tetil told local news outlet KDKA, adding that the man was one of the nicest people he's met at work.
“He was talking about the war, some of the injuries he had, the places he’s been, his family. Tears were just running down his face. You can just tell this man hasn’t had a true, caring person to talk to in a long time.”
Mr Tetil said he enjoyed their conversation and took his order to the kitchen.
Ms Meilander attempted to pay for the man's meal, but Mr Tetil told her that someone else in the restaurant had already taken care of it.
‘Giving someone five minutes of your day’
"After the man received his food Dylan came back to say he was on a break. He asked if he could sit with the gentleman as he ate," Ms Meilander wrote.
"As we left the restaurant the two of them were conversing and many people seated nearby were smiling. It was a touching sight."
The post has been shared more than 77,000 times, with more than 261,000 reactions.
“I believe you giving someone five minutes of your day could completely rearrange how they look at life itself honestly," Mr Tetil said. “That’s how I think the world should operate and the world would be a better place."
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