A thank you note to remember

BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WDTN) - Sometimes the most meaningful moments in life happen at the most unexpected times, like a grocery story parking lot.

You never know just how big of an impact one simple act of kindness can have in a person's life.  Tim O'Laughlin recently discovered that after shopping at the Beavercreek Kroger.   He noticed a note on his car.

"Our hearts kind of sank when we saw the note," said O'Laughlin. "A lot of times when you see a note on the car you get kind of worried someone has hit the side of the car!"

Not the case here. It was something much more unexpected. The note read:

Dear Veteran,

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you for fighting for our country!  You are a true hero!

Sincerely,  Raquel
A Kroger employee

A thank-you note handwritten in pencil on a piece of notebook paper.  Simple in its delivery, but deep in meaning to this Vietnam veteran

"This just took me by surprise, absolutely by surprise," said O'Laughlin.

And, it was who the note was from that made his heart salute.  Raquel Gonzalez, a 17-year-old high school student at Stivers School for the Arts, works at the grocery store after school, and as she was pushing carts that day, something caught her eye.  "There was a Vietnam veteran sticker on the back of his car," she said.

"After I was done with my shift, I grabbed a piece of paper real quick and I wrote it and I walked outside, put it on his car and just went back to work. I was waiting that day to see who it was, but when I was on break I missed him."

O'Laughlin told management about the impressive note, and a few days later, these pen pals of sorts met for the first time. Strangers until now and generations apart, they caught up like old friends.

"You know, I really can't tell you how much I truly appreciate what you did," he told Raquel as tears swelled in his eyes. "It just blew me away. I've been back a long time and there isn't a person on Earth who has ever done anything like that before."

You may wonder what prompted Raquel to write the note in the first place. Her grandfather is a Vietnam veteran and so is her teacher. "So, I really appreciate it and I wanted to let you know that," she told O'Laughlin. "I saw your car and I just wanted to let you know."

A small gesture, with a big impact in the most unexpected of places.

"Generally kids don't even think about wars and veterans," said O'Laughlin. "So, for a high school kid to do something like this it's amazing. Absolutely amazing."

"You know, It's something that makes such a huge impact on them, that it's almost hard for them to talk about, but they are so happy when other people take the time out to say thank you for doing that, because, you never know how important it is to them."

Raquel said she is pursuing scholarships so she can attend college for business management. O'Laughlin said her parents should be proud.