Sunday, February 10th was a very difficult day. I had lost an amazing friend the week before and was still having trouble processing the enormity of it all. Things had gotten even worse when my car broke down that Saturday and I was forced to miss his funeral. So on Sunday afternoon another friend had driven me the hour and a half to his house to deliver a gift for his wife, who wasn’t going to be there but had instructed me to leave it in their kitchen. Standing there in the still of his quiet home, eyeing his tools on the kitchen floor and his boots beside the door, brought me to an entirely new level of grief. After spending several hours in tears, me and a couple friends made our way into Cactus Jack’s, absolutely heart broken and despondent. When the waitress, Nicolette, approached, I felt compelled with the need to explain our dishevelled and exhausted appearance. She was not only understanding but also sincere and empathetic as she graciously got us our drinks and helped us place our food orders. It wasn’t easy to decide what to eat when my heart and mind were lost in thoughts about anything other than food...Nicolette patiently helped us decide things and reaffirmed our food choices with gentle encouragement. Near the end of our meal, Nicolette said that she had something to tell us. She had spoken to her manager and explained a little of the distress that we were experiencing and they were going to comp our entire food bill, simply out of the kindness of their hearts and as part of a program run by Cactus Jack’s that is a Pay-it-Forward way to help people who were experiencing situations similar to ours. This was completely unexpected and my immediate reaction was tears. What an amazing way to show that as a business they truly care about PEOPLE. I could tell that Nicolette was moved by my reaction and was close to tears herself. What an incredible and heartfelt young woman that you have representing your company. She is a true asset in her ability to provide customer service with such genuity. I cannot fully express the gratitude that me and my friends all felt when a stranger helped fill a very tragic time in our lives with such a heartwarming moment and act of kindness. Thank you Cactus Jack’s and thank you Nicolette.