Servers aren’t always given the respect they deserve from their customers. World War II veteran Walter “Buck” Swords was one such difficult customer who made things hard for waitresses at Luby’s in Brownsville, Texas.

Walter, who was known for his grumpiness, was a regular at the diner for seven years. He complained so much about the most minor things that no waitress at the business wanted to serve him. The only one who would serve him was Melina Salazar.

Though Walter would test her patience daily, Melina always remained professional in her interactions with him. No matter how much he complained, she always kept a smile on her face and never let that falter.

“He was mean to the girls,” Melina remembered. “He wanted everything his way. He wanted the food very hot — he didn’t care, he burned himself!” She says, though, that she had patience and “just took care of him.”

In the summer of 2007, Melina noticed that she had not seen Walter for weeks, and she then found his obituary in the local newspaper. Five months later, Melina got the surprise of her life when she learned that her professionalism had paid off big time.

Right before Christmas that year, a lawyer walked into the diner while Melina was working. The lawyer informed Melina that Walter had appreciated her professionalism so much that he left her his 2000 Buick and $50,000 cash!

This serves as a reminder of the rewards that can come to us when we are kind to others!

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