Struggling waitress stunned into shock after couple handed her back the receipt: 'What is this?'

One moment can change the course of a person's life, especially when they are not expecting any such miracles. That is exactly what a waitress experienced during her shift at a local eatery called DaVinci’s in Williamstown. The woman, Manhattan Deming, had started working at the eatery early this year, per WTAP. Deming was simply serving a couple during a shift on Sunday when they started asking her questions about her life, and, deciding to give in, she told them whatever they wanted to know.

"I told them about my daughter since they had told me that they had sons and we were talking about how kids are just a blessing. They asked me if I had goals and I said, of course, I’d love to be a nurse one day. That was my goal before I had been pregnant and things just got slow [after my daughter was born.] But I had planned [to go back to school] when it was feasible for me," Deming recounted. After the conversation, the couple, now done with their meal, paid for it and handed back the receipt to the waitress with her tip written on top. One look at it and Deming felt the ground shift beneath her feet; surely she couldn't really accept that huge an amount!

"And when he handed me back the receipt, I said, 'What? What is this? What does this say?' And he said that it says $2000. I broke down right there. I couldn’t hold it in. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, I feel, for somebody to receive such a blessing," the waitress shared. Now, Deming can go back to school with the amount she received as a tip and create a better life for herself and her daughter. After her daughter, Journey, was born, Deming worked at a hospital as a Patient Care Technician on the Labor and Delivery floor for a few years. But the hours were not working for her, so she had to make a career switch.

"I feel like the lord has just been telling me with this job that good things happen, good things come to those who wait. I am on the right path, I feel like being here has done nothing but better me as a server, as a human being and even as a mother," Deming continued. The couple's gesture has given Deming an all-new perspective on life. "They’ve really inspired me with that kind of cushion to make this year the year that I begin achieving my goals and bettering mine and my daughter's life." Previously, the mom faced many issues with her car and phone services and had to rely on stray Wi-Fi to check on her daughter. "Just awesome to know that I can fix that, I can receive a call that isn’t like, just an emergency call to DaVinci’s about my daughter. I can get a text update."

The eatery's owner felt that the waitress totally deserved the tip. "Manhattan connects really well with all of our customers," Da Vinci's owner, Chris Bender, shared with the outlet. Deming is very thankful for what the couple did and plans on spending the money to pay rent, buy clothes for her daughter, and pay for other things while she is in school. "I might use it while I’m in school if I had to take a little more time off work or something like that." Reflecting on the huge tip, Deming explained, "I don’t think that people really see that kind of struggle here in Appalachia. $2000 is almost relatively unheard of around here and so for it to have happened to me, I just want to make sure that I use my blessing for what it was intended."