6-year-old's sweet note changes everything for mom struggling with taking up a cafeteria job

In life, very few people find purpose in what they do and Sarah Fiacco is certainly one of them. She was a stay-at-home mother for 16 years and now she is a lunch lady and enjoying every bit of it, thanks to a note she received from a 6-year-old, reports TODAY. "Never did I imagine at 40 years old I'd be working in my kids' school cafeteria full-time," she wrote in a post shared to a private Facebook group.

She and her husband, Bryce Fiacco, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force, moved to Alabama from Virginia last year with their four children. Fiacco had a successful home bakery business in Virginia. "It was very lucrative, and I loved it," she said. The military moved them and she shared that people in Alabama weren't that interested in what she baked. She didn't lose hope and to earn an income, she became a substitute teacher at Prattville Christian Academy. They even offered her a permanent role, but she refused. "It just didn't feel like the right fit. Then they floated another opportunity as a food service associate," Fiacco shared.

She took that opportunity and was surprised to see how well it turned out. Talking more about it, she wrote on the Facebook group, "Honestly, I struggled to accept (the position) because it's not necessarily a 'dream job.' I was even embarrassed to share it here. But I'm here to say in less than two weeks, I already have a deeper sense of satisfaction than I've ever had." Fiacco then revealed the beautiful reason why she loves her job so much. She shared a handwritten note from a 6-year-old kindergarten student. It read, "Thank you for the lunch! From Olivia." 

Though Fiacco's job comes with its struggles, she chooses to focus on the brighter side. The mom wrote, "Sure, my feet are sore. My hands are dry and I'm dreaming about chicken nuggets, but getting this note reminded me why I said yes," she said. "I hope this job can be so much more than just serving food. Maybe this post will encourage one of you to find joy in unexpected ways." The food service associate told the outlet that the kid came to her mid-shift, holding a piece of paper. "She handed it to me through the window and was like, 'I want you to have that,' and I almost cried," she expressed. "It's not a glamorous job, but I'm making a difference." The mother shared that she hung Olivia's note on her bathroom mirror as a daily reminder that what she does matters.

Another good part about her job is that her children get to see her as they study at the same establishment. "They come to visit me. They are proud of what I do," Sarah said. In April, the woman posted on the same Facebook page, mulling over the cafeteria job and "looking for words of encouragement," according to the outlet. One person commented on her post back then: "Just here to say that my kids talk about 'Chef Jen' more than any other employee in their entire six years of elementary school. Those ladies make a massive difference!" Another one wrote, "The most beloved person in the high school where I teach is 'lunch lady Barb,' who knows kids personally by name and participates in all our pep assemblies! She recently retired and the senior students chose her as the person they wanted to read their names at graduation — so she did."