Struggling Waiter Helps Broke College Student, Gets a Huge Surprise at Work

A Utah waiter is crediting karma for a serendipitously generous tip that followed only a few days after his earlier act of kindness.

Deric Wortham shared his story in a March 6 post on his Facebook account that has since gone viral. The post includes a photo of a receipt from a table he served at Cliffside Restaurant, the establishment he works at, that totals $100 — a $49.92 bill along with a $50.08 tip.

Wortham wrote in his post:

“A couple of days ago I was standing in line at the bank. A young girl (college age) was behind me with a Mason jar 1/3 filled with coins. I commented to her that she was supposed to wait until it was completely filled before cashing it in. She said that she didn’t have any money in her account and that she had to cash it in now (it probably totaled $5.00).

“I remembered being a poor college student myself 30 years ago at BYU. So, when I got to the teller, I told her to withdraw $50 from my account and when the girl came up for her transaction, to see to it that my $50 was deposited into her account with her coins.

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“The teller asked me, ‘Why? Do you know her?’. I replied that I did not but that it seemed to me she needed the money more than I did and I was just ‘Paying It Forward’. The teller told me that was one of the nicest things she had ever seen. I left feeling good. And, I secretly asked my Heavenly Father to bless both the young lady and myself because I have bills too.  

“Tonight, at the end of my work week, my last customer was the answer to my silent prayer. Their dinner check was only $49 but they tipped me $50…the same amount that I had given to the young lady earlier this week! They tipped me not the usual 18% – 20% but a full 100%! Someone ‘paid it forward’ back to me! Karma! I felt blessed! Remember, ‘Paying it forward’ will eventually come back to you! Everyone have an awesome week ahead!”

Wortham’s original Facebook post has been shared over 3,000 times, but a repost by Love What Matters has been shared over 54,000 times and been given over 257,000 likes.

Written by Editorial Staff, NextShark