Acts of Kindness
Server interrupts dad on 'date' with daughter to give him note left from strangers
The couple couldn't bite their tongues and had to say something...
Luis Gaskell
10.22.20

It takes a whole lot of dedication, work and patience to be a parent. Most parents probably feel more physical stress than non-parents on a day-to-day basis, and they rarely ever complain about it. Imagine then, what being a single parent must be like.

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The same work required of both parents, all laid on just one. Now that’s a monumental challenge right there, but it’s part of what you sign up for when you have kids.

Doesn’t the mere sound of that make you want to commend all the single parents out there?

You aren’t alone. Hailing from that wonderful old image-hosting site, Imgur, a single dad on the platform had a really wonderful little story to share.

Going by the pseudonym takopoke, this father took his little girl out to have Valentine’s dinner. A family of 2 is still a family, and Valentine’s is the day that men treat the most cherished girls in their lives. On the day of love, it doesn’t have to be just romantic love that gets celebrated.

Being a single parent, it’s also a way of showing the kids how much you still care about them.

No number of sleepless nights or tired days will make you stop loving your kids, even if raising them without a second helping hand can be a Herculean task.

Thus, seeing a single father in a restaurant with his little girl on Valentine’s, people will probably immediately know what’s going on.

In this case, watching them the whole time was a couple in the same restaurant. While he was busy tending to his 6-year old and making her feel as special as can be, this couple couldn’t help but melt over the mere sight of it.

So much so that they wrote a little note and had the waitress hand it over to him.

I wish I could thank them

The Imgur dad couldn’t do anything else but shed a tear. I mean, wouldn’t you?

“Hi there! Sorry to spy, but my husband and I saw you out with your little date and were so impressed with what a great dad you are. From two adults who grew up without dads, it’s s important to have a male role model at a young age. Keep up the good work, dad! Dinner is on us!”

The note was already sweet as a Valentine’s chocolate cake, but the ending note where they mentioned paying for their dinner really elevated the wholesome levels even more.

Knowing that this mystery couple both grew up raised by single parents, it’s not hard to see why they were so touched by the sight of one such parent treating his little girl.

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๐——๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ (๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜จ๐˜ถ๐˜บ โ˜, ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ'๐˜ด ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด. ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿงน). โฃ โฃ I think most dads genuinely want to be ๐˜จ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ด, but get the wrong impression on how to actually do that. As author Kelly Holmes explains, "Some dads think itโ€™s all or nothing. That itโ€™s the big gestures that count. Taking the whole family on an expensive vacation. Buying your kid a new car when they turn 16. Working 50, 60, 70 hours a week to get that next raise, that next promotion so you can get that bigger house. But thatโ€™s not what matters most to your kids. Research shows that stuff doesnโ€™t actually make kids happy, but experiences do make kids happy."โฃ โฃ If this is your guy, check out Kelly's 25 ๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—น ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐—˜๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐——๐—ฎ๐—ฑ ๐——๐—ผ๐—ฒ๐˜€ and pass it on to him! โคโฃ โฃ Link in bio!

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In fact, that’s one thing that wasn’t quite touched on here. A single parent family can be tricky for both parent and child.

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The way these two light up around each other is something I feel very lucky to watch. Relationships between adults are often complex, sometimes hard work, messy or fragile. Relationships between a parent and young child are simple – itโ€™s just unconditional love each way. Occasionally, all the mixed up feelings between adults can cloud over the proper respect that should be given to the childโ€™s right to have a happy relationship with both parents. I get that. Co-parenting isnโ€™t always easy, but it is so rewarding when you start to get it right. Weโ€™re working hard to still be a family, just the kind of family that is right for us… I think itโ€™s going well ๐Ÿค โ€ข #coparenting #paralellparenting #soloparenting #singleparent #singleparenting #singlemumlife #mumblog #mumsofinstagram #dadlife #singledad #coparentingdoneright #newmum #baby #family #love #mumblog #motherhoodunplugged #motherhood #wisdom #dobetterbebetter #fatherandson #daddyandson #likefatherlikeson #bros #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerplay #weekenddad #fatherhood #meetamummysunday #discoverunder5k

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While mom or dad is busy watching after you all by themselves, there’s also the potential social anxiety and longing for the two-parent families that other kids have.

But when they learn the effort and lengths that their single mom or dad go through to care for them, they probably won’t worry about that at all.

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This week Charlotte and I were arguing and I asked why she couldn't just sit still. She replied "mommy, sometimes my body just wants to be silly." . . I teared up immediately. 1/2 because I loved the way she articulated herself, and 1/2 because unlike me, she is not in control of her body, or her thoughts, or her mind. It is my job to show up to that silly body and support her. . . None of my personal development could have prepared me for parenting. Every day is different. Everything is unpredictable. But Charlotte is my greatest teacher. I would choose her, specifically her, every day. . . . #singlemom #momcoach #lifecoach #singleparenting #singleparent #momlife #scarymommy #parentingquotes #lifecoaching #lifequotes #parentingquotes #lifecoachforwomen #millenialtherapist #quarantinelife #quarantinecasual #lovequotes #grateful #thegoodquote #relationshipquotes #quarantine #breakups #datingcoach #relationshipgoals #relationshipcoach #lifecoaching #lovelife #datinglife #datingadvice #datingquotes #datingapps

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Any single parent should feel proud and accomplished of all the work they do. Their kids will be way prouder of them when they grow up too.

If you know any single parents, let them know you appreciate them and treat them if you can too. Consider sharing this article if it made your day!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

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