July 31, 2025 • 9 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, a group home’s night out turned unforgettable when two strangers stepped in with a silent gift. Laurie Seibert had brought her group out for a well-earned dinner, never expecting someone across the room to cover the full bill. But that’s exactly what happened.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:20):
And we continue with our American stories. Up next, a
heartwarming story from Lorie Cyber, a memoir writing student of
one of our frequent contributors, Leslie leyland Fields. Take it Away.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Lurie.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
The restaurant owner assures me that the elevator was recently inspected.
I'm sure he can read my face filled with lingering concern.
He quickly adds, we use it almost every day. He
is rightfully proud of his new business in this beautifully
(00:56):
restored building. He immediately supported our group dining at his restauran,
but could not offer us a discount. This will be
a full price evening. Like a protective mom, I anxiously
wait for my twenty five adult kids to attend their
(01:17):
party as I continue checking items off my to do list.
Donald is the first to arrive. He is quiet and cautious,
ever eager to please. I nearly burst with pride when
I noticed his slick back hair, suit and tie. I
know from his chygrin that he's proud of his appearance too.
Donald and I have been meeting monthly for almost ten years. Wow,
(01:40):
looking sharp, Donald. He gently tugs on this thin maroon
necktie and self consciously smiles emphasizing the gray whiskers along
his deep leth lines. Are you hungry? I ask? Yep,
me too. I look at him intently, requiring him to
make direct eye contact. Behind Donald, I see her agency's
(02:04):
van pull into the parking space directly in front of
the restaurant. The two care workers exit the van and
begin helping the residence of our group home for adult
women enter the restaurant. Mary and her wheelchair are the
last to be loaded into the van and the first
to be unloaded. Her smile is so broad that it
threatens to split her precious face. A string of spittle
(02:24):
falls from one side of her mouth. A spastic quadriplegic
who can make the RR shake beneath her as she
jolts from side to side in her wheelchair. When she
is safely delivered through the restaurant door, she bends her
head toward me so I can see the rhinestone encrusted
headband one of the caretakers has lovingly put into place.
Mary jerks her head upright again and squeals, waiting for
(02:45):
my compliment. Well, look at you, beautiful Queen Mary.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I oblige.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Her dark brown eyes sparkle, and her face lights up
in a magical smile as I fuss over her bejeweled
necklace and beaded clip on earrings. After a few minutes
of excited greetings and mutual admiration, I send Joanne, a
house mom upstairs with Louise, Doreen, Kathy and Donald. Hurting
them up the stairs will be an adventure, but she
(03:12):
is up to the task. Wide eyed and silent, Mary
manages to survive the elevator ride despite an initial protest.
Her relief is visible as the doors screech opened, her
regal smile returns. She greets those who have arrived upstairs,
tipping her tiera topped head and with great effort, patting
her necklace with a twisted wrist. Missy has arrived too.
(03:36):
She is entirely mobile, the living of cerebral palsy. Her
uneven gait makes me want to slide beside her to
offer a shoulder to lean on. She confidently charges up
the stairs, resilient. Out of necessity, I test her with
insuring everyone had someone to sit with. Within minutes, she
has seated Marilyn and Linda at the end of our
long banquet table, with grinning head nodding Robert brothers. Glenn
(04:01):
and Less have been dropped off by their nephew. Less
has a crink old, grease stained paper bag gripped tide
in each hand. Before he told me, I knew that
one was for my son Alex six, and the other
was for my son Luke four. Less and Glenn often
come bearing gifts for my boys. The treasures inside the
bags vary each time, but there is usually a can
(04:23):
of orange soda pop in each Seeing these filled, overhandled,
thoughtful gifts melt my heart. Glenn Less in the other
Discovery plus group numbers are incredible humans. Their developmental disabilities
and challenges are eclipsed by their exceptional thoughtfulness and pure generosity.
Our evening passes in a merry, busy blur. I want
(04:46):
to eavesdrop on every interaction, and I forget to worry
about us being too loud. The food is enjoyed, plates
are emptied and unlimited soft drinks are refilled. Laughter rings
and the dessert selections provide the icing on the cake
of the six ra ordinary evening. I slowly look around,
taking note of each person's specialness. I am overwhelmed with
(05:07):
love and gratitude. The evening has surpassed my highest hopes.
As our delightful evening draws to a close, the Vandriver
appears to pick up the first group. Other parents and
drivers arrived too. Even Mary is so sated and happy
she barely notices when Bonnie wheels her to the elevator
(05:29):
for her ride downstairs. I catch the server's eye and
tell her I'm ready to pay the bill. She stares
at me blankly for a brief moment and nods her
head and disappears. Goodbye, Laura. Norma is at my side.
Long ago I had quit correcting her and telling her
my name is Laurie. I accept it now as a
term of endearment. Good Night, Norma. Did you have a
(05:51):
good time? Oh? Yes, she replies. She is one of
the original five Discovery Plus participants and has been a
faithful attendee since our first meeting ten years ago. Somewhere
along the way, she started calling me at home. I
fully expect a phone call from her tomorrow. Norma embraces
me in an awkward bear hug before shuffling down the stairs.
(06:15):
Our waitress returns with a sly grin and hands me
our bill for the evening. I glanced down at the
long cash registered receipt and see the word paid stamped
in red ink. Wait what is this, I ask, Stunned
and confused, she smiles again. A conspirator, smiled. Someone paid
your group's entire bill. Who who would have done that?
(06:39):
I ask, sincerely, astonished. They want to remain anonymous, and
they were happy to do it, she replies, clearly enjoying
her role as a messenger. Oh please, I implore. As I
process this generous gesture, I want to thank whoever has
given our group this incredible gift. She smiles again and
turns to go back downstairs and stops at the table
(07:00):
of an older couple gathering their belongings. After a brief conversation,
the three of them involuntarily glanced upstairs. Before they have
time to react. I dash down the steps. I catch
them as they are turning to head out the door.
Overcome with emotion, my voice cracks. Thank you, thank you
so much. The woman gives me a wink and a
(07:23):
warm smile as she wraps her scarf around her neck.
It was supposed to be our secret. Her piercing gray
blue eyes assess me as she decides whether or not
to say anything more. We love seeing your group and
witnessing how much everyone enjoyed the evening. We really had
a wonderful time, I assure them. My only hesitation was
(07:43):
worrying about turning in the receipts for our total bill,
But I knew that the evening would be well worth it.
After a contagious chuckle, the handsome, wisome man agrees it
was worth every penny. He offers me his hand for
a firm shake, and zips's coat as they approach the door.
I want to chase them down. I need their contact
(08:04):
information so the agency and I can adequately thank them. Instead,
I stand and watch them go, realizing that even though
they have paid our tab, the couple has been given
the gift of joy. I do not wish to diminish it.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
It was worth every penny and a terrific job on
the production editing and storytelling by our own Monty Montgomery
and Reagan Habib.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
And a special thanks to Lorie Cybert for telling the story,
for sharing the story and for doing what she did
with those adults and those folks in that group home,
and of course for what that older couple did to
pay for it all and to do it joyfully and
to do it secretly. It's another of those many stories
we tell here on our show about generosity and random
(08:58):
acts of kindness. This is a true and one of
our best random acts of kindness stories here on our
American Stories
And we continue with our American stories. Up next, a
heartwarming story from Lorie Cyber, a memoir writing student of
one of our frequent contributors, Leslie leyland Fields. Take it Away.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Lurie.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
The restaurant owner assures me that the elevator was recently inspected.
I'm sure he can read my face filled with lingering concern.
He quickly adds, we use it almost every day. He
is rightfully proud of his new business in this beautifully
(00:56):
restored building. He immediately supported our group dining at his restauran,
but could not offer us a discount. This will be
a full price evening. Like a protective mom, I anxiously
wait for my twenty five adult kids to attend their
(01:17):
party as I continue checking items off my to do list.
Donald is the first to arrive. He is quiet and cautious,
ever eager to please. I nearly burst with pride when
I noticed his slick back hair, suit and tie. I
know from his chygrin that he's proud of his appearance too.
Donald and I have been meeting monthly for almost ten years. Wow,
(01:40):
looking sharp, Donald. He gently tugs on this thin maroon
necktie and self consciously smiles emphasizing the gray whiskers along
his deep leth lines. Are you hungry? I ask? Yep,
me too. I look at him intently, requiring him to
make direct eye contact. Behind Donald, I see her agency's
(02:04):
van pull into the parking space directly in front of
the restaurant. The two care workers exit the van and
begin helping the residence of our group home for adult
women enter the restaurant. Mary and her wheelchair are the
last to be loaded into the van and the first
to be unloaded. Her smile is so broad that it
threatens to split her precious face. A string of spittle
(02:24):
falls from one side of her mouth. A spastic quadriplegic
who can make the RR shake beneath her as she
jolts from side to side in her wheelchair. When she
is safely delivered through the restaurant door, she bends her
head toward me so I can see the rhinestone encrusted
headband one of the caretakers has lovingly put into place.
Mary jerks her head upright again and squeals, waiting for
(02:45):
my compliment. Well, look at you, beautiful Queen Mary.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I oblige.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Her dark brown eyes sparkle, and her face lights up
in a magical smile as I fuss over her bejeweled
necklace and beaded clip on earrings. After a few minutes
of excited greetings and mutual admiration, I send Joanne, a
house mom upstairs with Louise, Doreen, Kathy and Donald. Hurting
them up the stairs will be an adventure, but she
(03:12):
is up to the task. Wide eyed and silent, Mary
manages to survive the elevator ride despite an initial protest.
Her relief is visible as the doors screech opened, her
regal smile returns. She greets those who have arrived upstairs,
tipping her tiera topped head and with great effort, patting
her necklace with a twisted wrist. Missy has arrived too.
(03:36):
She is entirely mobile, the living of cerebral palsy. Her
uneven gait makes me want to slide beside her to
offer a shoulder to lean on. She confidently charges up
the stairs, resilient. Out of necessity, I test her with
insuring everyone had someone to sit with. Within minutes, she
has seated Marilyn and Linda at the end of our
long banquet table, with grinning head nodding Robert brothers. Glenn
(04:01):
and Less have been dropped off by their nephew. Less
has a crink old, grease stained paper bag gripped tide
in each hand. Before he told me, I knew that
one was for my son Alex six, and the other
was for my son Luke four. Less and Glenn often
come bearing gifts for my boys. The treasures inside the
bags vary each time, but there is usually a can
(04:23):
of orange soda pop in each Seeing these filled, overhandled,
thoughtful gifts melt my heart. Glenn Less in the other
Discovery plus group numbers are incredible humans. Their developmental disabilities
and challenges are eclipsed by their exceptional thoughtfulness and pure generosity.
Our evening passes in a merry, busy blur. I want
(04:46):
to eavesdrop on every interaction, and I forget to worry
about us being too loud. The food is enjoyed, plates
are emptied and unlimited soft drinks are refilled. Laughter rings
and the dessert selections provide the icing on the cake
of the six ra ordinary evening. I slowly look around,
taking note of each person's specialness. I am overwhelmed with
(05:07):
love and gratitude. The evening has surpassed my highest hopes.
As our delightful evening draws to a close, the Vandriver
appears to pick up the first group. Other parents and
drivers arrived too. Even Mary is so sated and happy
she barely notices when Bonnie wheels her to the elevator
(05:29):
for her ride downstairs. I catch the server's eye and
tell her I'm ready to pay the bill. She stares
at me blankly for a brief moment and nods her
head and disappears. Goodbye, Laura. Norma is at my side.
Long ago I had quit correcting her and telling her
my name is Laurie. I accept it now as a
term of endearment. Good Night, Norma. Did you have a
(05:51):
good time? Oh? Yes, she replies. She is one of
the original five Discovery Plus participants and has been a
faithful attendee since our first meeting ten years ago. Somewhere
along the way, she started calling me at home. I
fully expect a phone call from her tomorrow. Norma embraces
me in an awkward bear hug before shuffling down the stairs.
(06:15):
Our waitress returns with a sly grin and hands me
our bill for the evening. I glanced down at the
long cash registered receipt and see the word paid stamped
in red ink. Wait what is this, I ask, Stunned
and confused, she smiles again. A conspirator, smiled. Someone paid
your group's entire bill. Who who would have done that?
(06:39):
I ask, sincerely, astonished. They want to remain anonymous, and
they were happy to do it, she replies, clearly enjoying
her role as a messenger. Oh please, I implore. As I
process this generous gesture, I want to thank whoever has
given our group this incredible gift. She smiles again and
turns to go back downstairs and stops at the table
(07:00):
of an older couple gathering their belongings. After a brief conversation,
the three of them involuntarily glanced upstairs. Before they have
time to react. I dash down the steps. I catch
them as they are turning to head out the door.
Overcome with emotion, my voice cracks. Thank you, thank you
so much. The woman gives me a wink and a
(07:23):
warm smile as she wraps her scarf around her neck.
It was supposed to be our secret. Her piercing gray
blue eyes assess me as she decides whether or not
to say anything more. We love seeing your group and
witnessing how much everyone enjoyed the evening. We really had
a wonderful time, I assure them. My only hesitation was
(07:43):
worrying about turning in the receipts for our total bill,
But I knew that the evening would be well worth it.
After a contagious chuckle, the handsome, wisome man agrees it
was worth every penny. He offers me his hand for
a firm shake, and zips's coat as they approach the door.
I want to chase them down. I need their contact
(08:04):
information so the agency and I can adequately thank them. Instead,
I stand and watch them go, realizing that even though
they have paid our tab, the couple has been given
the gift of joy. I do not wish to diminish it.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
It was worth every penny and a terrific job on
the production editing and storytelling by our own Monty Montgomery
and Reagan Habib.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
And a special thanks to Lorie Cybert for telling the story,
for sharing the story and for doing what she did
with those adults and those folks in that group home,
and of course for what that older couple did to
pay for it all and to do it joyfully and
to do it secretly. It's another of those many stories
we tell here on our show about generosity and random
(08:58):
acts of kindness. This is a true and one of
our best random acts of kindness stories here on our
American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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