Every week I take DS to his swimming lesson in town. We go straight from school, and get there with an hour before it starts. We usually go to a big chain coffee store for a certain snack before hand - a pack of two biscuits, which we share. I'm disabled and VI, and alternate between using an electric wheelchair, and a crutch with cane, depending on whether eyes or pain are worst.
Sometimes (when money is okay) I'll have my favourite coffee. Other times (more frequently), I'll have a tap water to share with DS, or a filter coffee. We've been doing this same routine for about 18 months now, and we really enjoy the time together. I always make sure I budget for the £2 a week for the biscuits, even if I can't manage the coffee as well.
The same woman has been working there for as long as I can remember, and she is always so, so lovely. She always takes the time to ask DS how school has been since the last week, to ask how I am, to be generally sweet. And she always brings whatever I've ordered over for me, even if it's just the tap water, so I don't have to struggle with my hands full. She often comes over to ask if we need anything. And she always makes me smile, just because of her demeanor, whether I'm low or in pain or stressed.
Today we went in as normal, and she asked how we'd been because she hadn't seen us for a few weeks. I asked how she was, because I remembered her saying she was taking her baby on holiday soon last time I'd seen her. She said she was leaving tomorrow to go back home for a few weeks (from somewhere in Europe) and was very excited. And then she carried my drink over and asked DS how he was as normal. She came over to check how we are, and if we needed anything.
As we were getting ready to leave, I gave her some money, and told her to get her and her baby something whilst they were away. It wasn't much, we're pretty skint, but I wanted to give her something. She honestly brightens what would otherwise be a really stressful day (I hate taking DS swimming with a passion - it's awful for all my conditions), and saying "thank you" again didn't seem to be enough.
But some of the other customers were staring at me and talking when I went back to my seat, they obviously thought it was a weird thing to do - was it? It's made me question what was supposed to just be a nice gesture.
AIBU?
Was this a weird thing to do?
VoldysGoneMouldy · 22/02/2016 21:42
I think it was a lovely gesture and hopefully this woman will begin to realise now the impact that she has on your day. Ignore the others - it was a very thoughtful thing to do. 
Kingdom - I went over to her personally; if I wasn't VI, and could read her name badge, I'd have left it on the table with a note saying it was for her. One of these coffee shops that shall remain nameless but you shutter through like cattle 
But I didn't make a big fuss of it.
Myname - if it had just been once, I wouldn't have, but like I say she's been doing the same thing for a year now, and she mentioned she was going away. I remember being a relatively new mum, and I also remember working in a coffee shop - underpaid, overworked, and generally unappreciated.
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Well, I think it was a bit weird but 'nice' weird not hoiky bosoms weird. 
Not being funny but I doubt the other customers were thinking anything or talking about you. Not unless you were speaking really loudly or something. Unless you heard them saying 'wow, that lady is weird' I'm not sure why you would assume that was what they were thinking. Iyswim.
It's funny there have been two threads in the last day involving posters being nice to other people in cafes - both where there was a person with disabilities involved, is this a new MN Thing
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