Six Surprising and Heart-Warming Ways People Have Said “Thank You”

Tis the season to give and receive thanks, and to count one’s blessings. And though a simple “thank you” is always appreciated, some people have different ways of expressing gratitude: An extravagant tip for a waiter, buying someone a gift they’ve always wanted, or completing someone’s chores while they’re sleeping.

So to give you some inspiration for recognizing those special someones in your life, or at least put a smile on your face this holiday season, here are some unique and over-the-top ways people have said thank you to those who helped them get to where they are, to those who came through in times of need, or to those just doing their job.

Customers buy out donuts so man can be with sick wife

Chhan, 62, and his wife Stella, 63, migrated to California in 1979 as refugees from Cambodia in the 1970s, according to The Huffington Post, where they opened a donut shop in 1990. They ran the donut shop for three decades, side-by-side, until Stella suffered a brain aneurysm. Customers of Donut City in Seal Beach, California, heard of the tragedy and wanted to help, so they spread the word that people should start buying donuts en masse. If the donuts sold out faster, Chhan could close up shot earlier, and go visit his wife at the rehabilitation center. A customer posted the idea on the neighborhood message board Nextdoor and it worked. Chhan usually stayed open until 2 p.m., but he told The Washington Post that these days, he’s been selling out as early as 7:30 a.m.

“I so appreciate it,” Chhan said to The Post. “I just can’t say enough thank you and thank you.”

49ers Wide Receiver Marquise Goodwin bought his mom and sister a house

In 2017, Marquise Goodwin’s breakout season was rewarded with a three-year, $19.25-million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He turned around and decided to buy his mom and sister a house with that money.

SB Nation writes that this is just one of many actions that showcased “Goodwin’s value as a football player and person.”

Waitress Receives $1,075 Tip On $29.30 Bill

Khadijah Muhammad was a waitress at a restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn. She had recently returned from Ohio, where she had rushed to be with her mother who had suffered a heart attack, according to The Huffington Post. She missed so much work, she told WBIR that she would need a “miracle” to pay her utility bills.

That miracle came in the form of a $1,075 gratuity for a $29.30 check. The tip came from a generous family.

Portia gives wife Ellen DeGeneres her own wildlife fund

In honor of Ellen DeGeneres’s 60th birthday, her wife Portia de Rossi surprised Ellen with her very own wildlife fund. Ellen loves animals and strives to save them. The Ellen DeGeneres Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund protects and advocates for the world’s most vulnerable animals and wildlife.

Kindergartners learn sign language to sing “Happy birthday” to deaf janitor

One class of kindergartners in Tennessee learned signed language so they could surprise a deaf janitor on his 60th birthday by singing/signing him Happy Birthday. Anthony had been working for the school district for 30 years and had been at Hickerson Elementary for the past 15.

“Mr. James teaches the kids sign language every now and then, teaches them good manners and how to treat other people,” school principal Jimmy Anderson told Fox News Nashville.

Carson Wentz and the Dutch Destroyer

Lukas Kusters was diagnosed with stomach cancer when he was eight-years-old, just days after Carson Wentz was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. Lukas was a football player who lived by the mantra “Wake up, kick ass, repeat.” He was a huge Eagles fan, and when doctors ordered a year of chemotherapy and radiation to treat Lukas’ cancer, his family decorated his hospital room in Eagles’ colors and hung Wentz’s jerseys on the wall. The Eagles heard Lukas’s story and a bunch of the team’s swag was delivered to his hospital room, along with a video message from Wentz. Lukas, whose nickname was “Dutch Destroyer,” wanted to meet Wentz to thank him.

But the Eagles planned something bigger. They picked Lukas and his family up in a limo and brought them to the practice facility. Lukas got to meet Wentz in person, and he gave Wentz a bracelet with Lukas’s nickname on it.  You can still see the bracelet on Wentz’s wrist every Sunday.