Waitress overwhelmed by customer's Christmas Eve act: 'I cried'

A waitress's heartbreaking Christmas Eve shift turned into a magical moment, all thanks to the kindness of one pair of strangers.

Lynette Baio was working at Speggtacular, a local restaurant in Clearwater, Fla., when she received the much-needed gift, WFLA-TV reports.

Baio, who has worked at the restaurant for five years, had recently spent a large portion of her savings repairing her car. The unexpected expense had made it so she couldn't afford Christmas presents for any of her family members.

"I had avoided an accident and really messed up my car and it really depleted my savings,” Baio told WFLA-TV. “And I wasn’t going to give my family members anything for Christmas but my opinion — and nobody wants that."

Video Credit: WFLA-TV

The waitress had previously talked about her misfortune with a pair of regular customers, who purportedly returned on Christmas Eve in order to help out. After being served by Baio that day, the couple left a massive, holiday-changing tip.

“[When] they got up to leave and I looked down and there was a check for what I paid for my car — which was $2,000," Baio told WFLA-TV. "And there was a note that said, 'Merry Christmas, restore your savings.'"

Baio said she felt "truly blessed" when she saw the tip, ultimately thanking the couple with a reaction that was emotional for everyone involved.

"I cried. He got up [and], she cried — we all cried," Baio said. "It was a Christmas miracle for me."

The waitress later shared her experience on Facebook, but she did not mention the couple by name. WFLA reported that the two generous tippers wished to remain anonymous.

"If they only knew how much they helped me emotionally," Baio told WFLA-TV. "I just want to thank them."

While Baio might not be able to thank her holiday heroes publically, she knows their gift will have an impact. The waitress said she was ultimately able to buy her family Christmas presents, and now hopes she can someday "pay it forward someday" for someone else in need.

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