Every day we make decisions - sometimes, totally unaware of how they will impact those around us. When Paula Grzelak-Schultz left her car in a parking lot overnight after sharing a bottle of wine with her husband and friends, she had no idea her decision to stay safe would even go noticed.
"I was sure it was going to be a ticket or a scolding from someone for leaving my vehicle there for so long,” Grzelak-Schultz told CBS News when she saw a note on her windshield the next morning.
But instead, the Sherwood Park, Canada resident was greeted with a warm message from the manager of Original Joe’s Restaurant & Bar.
"Just wanted to thank you for leaving your car parked overnight,” Jay McLean, managing partner at Original Joe’s, typed in the note. “I’m not sure if you had consumed alcohol at our restaurant or not, but we wanted to thank you for not drinking and driving.”
Inside the envelope, Grzelak-Schultz found a voucher for 1 pound of chicken wings. “Please accept this as a thank you for being responsible,” McLean wrote. “Life is valuable, have a great weekend.”
Grzelak-Schultz posted the note on Facebook where it instantly went viral - gaining more than 20 thousand likes and more than 8 thousand shares.
To thank him for his kindness, Grzelak-Schultz returned to the restaurant a week later only to find he's been leaving these messages on responsible drivers cars for a year. “He’s been doing it for over a year, with no expectations,” she explained to CBS. “Just being a good guy.”
After it all, Grzelak-Schultz said she wanted those who saw the note and appreciated McLean's kindness to know that, “just because you’re not drunk that doesn’t mean that you’re not impaired... I want people to be mindful of that next time they get behind the wheel after even just one drink.”