Jackie and her husband were having a rough patch in their relationship. Jackie had just given birth to her third child, so they went out for a family dinner to relax. But then something happened, and the waitress did something to them.
Behind Her Back
It was a normal family dinner until the waitress left an item on the table. Jackie rushed towards the comfort room when she saw that item. It made her stomach churn every time that item came to mind. Her mood turned sour.
Behind Her Back
The Tears Came
She knew that this wasn’t ok and if she had done something big, it would cause a big ruckus. Jackie knew that this wasn’t the time to do nothing, so she asked her husband to show her the item. She cried while reading the note from her husband that the waitress left.
The Tears Came
Motherhood
Jackie Johnson-Smith knew that being a mother wasn’t as easy as it looks. Taking care of the children and being responsible for her husband was the task of a mother and a wife. None of these experiences were tougher than what was happening in the local pizza shop in Des Moines, Iowa.
Motherhood
Stirring Up Drama
The waitress that served the family was brave enough to send a letter to her husband while she was in the bathroom. She cannot believe what was written inside the letter that made her tears fall.
Stirring Up Drama
Not Someone To Mess With
Jackie served the U.S. Army, so she had a tough personality. Serving in the army was rough. People knew that they shouldn’t mess with her. They understood the terror and hellish training in the army, but she survived all those challenges. Jackie was now dedicated to being the best mom that she could be.
Not Someone To Mess With
A War Hero
Despite being a war hero and surviving through multiple training in the army, Jackie cried when she read the letter that the waitress left for her husband. Her husband couldn’t believe it when he saw her wife wept because of the letter.
A War Hero
Not So Glamorous
Jackie tried her best to be a better mom for her kids. As exhausting and messy as it may be, being a mom would make it difficult to appear pleasant while taking her for the kids. She had tried her best to look nice especially for her husband, but her husband was undeniably handsome.
Not So Glamorous
He Got A Lot Of Attention
Jackie found her husband attractive. It was one of the reasons why she liked him. She was not blind to see that the other woman also liked her husband, but she did not let it get to her. The waitress here in the pizza shop was different, it gave Jackie a sense of irritation.
He Got A Lot Of Attention
A Blind Eye
Jackie could not turn a blind eye for this relationship. She knew that their bond had changed for the worse. They had a responsibility to the three children. She knew that her mental and physical capacities were not the same as before.
A Blind Eye
Feeling Uncertain
Jackie had a lot of insecurities and felt uncertain about her marriage. She questioned herself if this was the right time to speak because, at this moment, her uncertainties in this situation had a good reason.
Feeling Uncertain
Bringing The Family Out
Jackie and Tom knew that they were late for a dinner date, but since their baby was just recently born, they decided to take their family to a pizza shop in Des Moines, Iowa for a family date.
Bringing The Family Out
Life With A Newborn
When they arrived at the pizza shop at Des Moines, Iowa, their newborn baby started to cry. All the people in the pizza shop were looking at them, but not the waitress who was looking at her husband.
Life With A Newborn
Needed Support
Once you become a mother, everything you do in public would make people judge you. It was not different here in the pizza shop where when you tried to stop your child from crying and started to lift your shirt, people would stare at you. Jackie knew the feeling after she breastfed her three children.
Needed Support
A Proud Momma
She wasn’t troubled about the people who wanted to stop her from breastfeeding her baby. The one thing that she was troubled was, the way the waitress stared at her husband was different from what she experienced from the other girls. She knew that she must do something.
A Proud Momma
All Eyes On Them
Jackie was used to being judged by the people around her when she breastfed her child. She wasn’t troubled or let it get to her. Sometimes, she heard people murmuring about what she was doing in public, but she didn’t care and continued to breastfeed her baby.
All Eyes On Them
Feeling Uneasy
She felt uneasy when the waitress was attentive looking at her. She thought that it was the first time the waitress saw a mother breastfeeding a child, but she didn’t know that the waitress was planning something for her.
Feeling Uneasy
The Letter
Jackie got up and walked away from the table and then her husband asked the waitress for the bill. When Jackie turned her back away from her husband, the waitress ran towards him and slipped a note into his pocket.
The Letter
A New Feeling
As she saw him reading the note, she noticed that his reaction was different from a normal note that would be sent by a total stranger. Jackie saw everything and she felt uneasy about what was written on the note that made her husband react that way.
A New Feeling
How Did He React?
She thought that he would tear or crumple the paper but instead, he put out his cellphone and typed something on it. Jackie thought it was a cellphone number. She could not believe what she had seen and started to think that her husband was doing something wrong.
How Did He React?
Had He Fallen In Love?
She couldn’t think straight, she thought that her husband did not love her anymore. He was tired of living with her and her children. Her heart felt miserable. She did not know what to do as she watched what was happening in front of her. She didn’t know what she was going to do.
Had He Fallen In Love?
Her Jealousy Was Showing
Jackie felt jealous which led to anger. Her mind was not on the right track when she saw her husband taken away by a waitress. She walked away for a moment and thought about the different possibilities as to what could be written on the note.
Her Jealousy Was Showing
Demanding Answers
She wanted to know what was inside the note. The worst part was that her husband took out his phone, so was it a phone number? She could not think properly until she confronted her husband and asked for the note.
Demanding Answers
Everything Was Suspicious
The waitress offered to give their family an exclusive discount for their whole bill. She wanted to understand what was going on. And just why was the waitress seducing her husband in front of her.
Everything Was Suspicious
The Center Of Problems
In the note, the waitress noted his wife’s decision to breastfeed in a public place such as a restaurant. Jackie was already used to the attention she usually received when feeding her child in public, but this was the first time someone had been frank about it.
The Center Of Problems
Getting Emotional
She could not stop herself from being emotional and suddenly, Jackie burst into tears. She scanned the note again and again and couldn’t believe the contents. She did not expect such a note to come from a waitress.
Getting Emotional
The Letter That Made Her Cry
Jackie teared up while she was reading the note and then settled down on her seat. She really did not expect what was written in the note from the waitress but what she read touched her heart.
The Letter That Made Her Cry
Her Note Went Viral
Jackie felt emotional for the gesture of the waitress that she didn’t think twice about posting what happened in all her social media accounts. She was deeply aware that breastfeeding in public is such a big deal, so she was shocked by how people reacted to her post.
Her Note Went Viral
The Note Itself
In her post, Jackie said, “I have breastfed three children… I have breastfed them in countless places both pleasant and unpleasant, discreetly and out in the open. I have gotten many looks and stares, but tonight erases any negativity I have ever received.”
The Note Itself
An Experienced Waitress
The waitress who gave the note was Bodi and she had been working as a waitress for quite a while. She could not help but notice how people judge moms who feed their children in public places.
An Experienced Waitress
Sharing Her Emotions
In her post, Jackie explained, “…I ate at Fong’s for the first time tonight. Having a fussy baby, I nursed him for a while in the booth and eventually left the table early to not disrupt the restaurant. The waitress gave this receipt to my husband. I was speechless and emotional.”
Sharing Her Emotions
What Did The Note Say?
Even though Bodi still does not have an experience with breastfeeding, it made her mad to see the judging eyes of people towards those who breastfeed their baby at the dinner table. In her note, she wrote, “I bought one of your pizzas… Please thank your wife for breastfeeding!!”
What Did The Note Say?
She Expected The Worst
Jackie’s response to the situation was amazing. She had assumed that the reason her husband pulled out his phone was that he wanted to save the waitress’s phone number. She was already preparing herself for the worst.
She Expected The Worst
Went Public
Jackie was relieved that her husband simply wanted to share the amazing note and she also wanted to do the same. The responses they got were wonderful, both for Bodi and Jackie. The note Bodi gave the couple started a trend of similar notes.
Went Public
Raising Breastfeeding Awareness
Thanks to Jackie, people started to talk more and more about breastfeeding. Jackie, together with other breastfeeding moms across the world, was getting tired of being stared at simply by doing their task as a mother.
Raising Breastfeeding Awareness
All She Wants
Bodi is proof that there are those who support moms breastfeeding in public, moms like Jackie. Even though this topic makes others uncomfortable, we are slowly progressing. And this is exactly what Jackie wants.
All She Wants
Amazing Responses
Even though breastfeeding is a natural thing, it’s still rare for a mother to receive a positive reaction from the people around. Eventually, Bodi said, “I noticed [Jackie] nursing and was so thrilled she did it!”
Amazing Responses
Deeply Staring
Jackie couldn’t help but notice the intense stare of the waitress. She explained, “…I tried not to stare because I didn’t want to seem creepy or make her feel uncomfortable, but I felt like doing jumping jacks!”
Deeply Staring
Sticking Up For Other Women
Jackie really wanted to stick up for other women. She explained, “After dealing with people’s reactions for so long, it was like the universe was patting me on the back. I was too stunned to go back inside and thank the waitress.”
Sticking Up For Other Women
Amazing Feeling
Jackie went back to the restaurant to thank Bodi. She said, “Although I don’t need a pat on the back for feeding my child, it sure felt amazing. It is amazing how we women can make each other feel when we empower each other.”
Amazing Feeling
Unbreakable Family
Thanks to their interaction with Bodi, the relationship of the couple had grown stronger. Jackie went to great lengths to voice out her thoughts on social media about the rights of mothers to breastfeed in public.
Unbreakable Family
A Long Way
It never occurred to Bodi that such a small gesture of kindness would go such a long way for Jackie and her family. In fact, it’s effect even reached out across the world via social media.
A Long Way