Eating at a restaurant by yourself can be a bit lonely. A lot of people avoid going to restaurants alone, and honestly, I suspect this is part of the reason why drive-thru was invented.
But in a McDonald's restaurant, two people managed to show everyone online that the world doesn't have to be so lonely.
Amanada Marquell Craft was eating lunch with coworkers at the fast food restaurant when they noticed an elderly woman eating by herself.
However, when Craft noticed another customer eating by himself, she marched right up to him and asked if it would be okay if she joined him.
While a lot of people may be perplexed by this sudden act of socialization, the man happily agreed without hesitation.
The two introduced themselves and sat together while they ate their lunch, chatting and laughing the whole time. The group of coworkers took a photo, just completely in awe of how sweet of a moment this was, and as the post went viral, the mystery man's friends started to tag him in it.
The man's name is Eric Haralson and he said the woman he met was named Jan. Craft's message about the moment is incredibly sweet, and has been shared thousands of times.
"Shout out to this guy! This elderly lady (seemed to be a little lonely) came up to him and asked if she could sit with him. Without hesitation, this guy said "of course". My friends and I watched him introduce himself and shake her hand. They talked and laughed together like they were friends."
She continued by saying that the moment touched her heart. "They didn't know each other, and they couldn't be more different. But today they shared a meal together and it touched our hearts."
People Magazine reached out to Haralson, and he was just happy to have gotten to meet Jan.
"Honestly it was a humbling experience. The impact it has made all over the world but most importantly the impact it made on her," Haralson said. "She didn't have to sit and eat with me, there were many people there, but she decided she wanted to spend that hour and a half of her day with me, and likewise."
He plans to keep in touch with Jan as they exchanged phone numbers and bonded over faith and talked about his own kids.
"I've had many conversations with strangers but they weren't the length of time Jan I spent talking," Haralson said. "She is a wonderful woman and I wish nothing but the best for her!"
It's refreshing to know that there are some genuinely nice people out there in the world who aren't afraid to make a new friend in an unlikely place.
