Starbucks barista grieving mom gets emotional after woman she served returns with heartfelt note and $200 tip

Some people brighten others' days with just their mere presence and Courtney Crawford, a barista who goes by @dopaqueen715 on TikTok, did just that. In a video, Crawford asked the internet to help her find the person who left a beautiful note for her at Starbucks, where she works part-time. She shared she starts her shift around 4 am and is done by 10. "I'm a morning person. I'm peppy as crap..." said Crawford at the beginning of the video. "This morning, I was loud and proud and peppy, and a woman came in and I could tell she was struggling, so I was like little extra pep in our step today, we are going to get her smiling."

The server managed to get the customer smiling, but a little later, something unexpected happened. The woman, who had left, returned and left a note for Crawford with her manager. The note made the server's day. It read, "I travel a lot for work, which means nights and very early mornings. I haven't traveled to Little Rock in six months until this week and I have been here for two days. So far, you have been the only person I have encountered who has been genuinely kind." 

The woman said that Crawford was the first person she met that morning who really brightened her day. "I'm sure you are exhausted, life, right? That's all of us, but you deserve to know that you made a difference in someone's day-to-day by being kind." The woman left her a $200 tip and wrote that she could bet that the barista had a great sense of humor. "I hope you have the very best day. I know I will, thanks to you. Treat yourself to something nice. You deserve it. Just not coffee, hahaha." She signed off as a "groggy woman at 5 am" and added, "You do good and it will come back to you."

Crawford was emotional after reading the note and had a message for the lady. "If you are that lady, this is my first Mother's Day without my mom. She passed in June. I have my Starbucks job on top of my full-time job because I have a lot of bills to pay and a lot of debt. I would be lying to you if I didn't tell you I was dreading Mother's Day," she shared. She added she was going to buy an urn for her mom and bring her home for Mother's Day. And now because of the $200 that the woman left her, she could afford that. Crawford ended the video by thanking her for what she did.

The video went viral with nearly 4 million views. Starbucks account commented on the post and wrote, "You. Are. Incredible! Thank you, Courtney, for being a shining example of the power of kindness. We're so proud to call you a partner." People in the comments were happy for her. @julzie67 commented, "That is called 'a tap on the shoulder' from your mom to this lady, which made her be at your work that day. Keep being you." @sierrasmith36 expressed, "I was not expecting the turn in this story, but now I'm sitting in a pool of tears. I couldn't imagine the situation that you are in, but this reminds me that there is still kindness in this world. " @p.richards03 said, "I hope she sees this and the impact of her returned kindness." 

In a follow-up video, Crawford shared that she has yet to find the woman who left her the note and the money, but she has got a message from a woman with some leads. However, after her first video, a woman named Dawn donated about $200 so her mother could come home in style. Moreover, many others have asked how they can help, but she requested them to pay it forward instead of sending it to her. 

You can follow Courtney Crawford (@dopaquenn715) for more content on her life.