An Open Letter To The Person Who Gave Me My First Tip In 20 Years

In 20 years on the radio, I've never received a letter quite like this. It made me smile, and hopefully, it will bring a smile to you as well.

My co-host Lauren and I were doing a daily segment the other day we call "Some Angel." We share a story of someone doing something special every day at 8:50 AM. We figured it's a good thing to share some positive news to get people going in the morning.

The other day we were talking about how a waitress in New York was tipped $500 from a customer so she could go see a Broadway show. Pretty cool, right? The waitress was making small talk with the couple and asked what their plans were after dinner. They had mentioned they were going to a Broadway show and the waitress told them she never had a chance to go to a show. They left her a $500 tip so she could go.

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Lauren asked me if I had ever gotten a tip like that and I joked that I had no such luck.

I got to work today and saw on my desk that there was a handwritten envelope addressed to me. No return address was on the envelope.

I opened it up and got the nicest letter. It read:

Dear Ken,

I listen to you and Lauren while taking my morning walk. There was fresh snow this morning so I watched for animal tracks. Most must have slept in, I only saw a couple rabbit tracks, no deer or fox.

I heard the story Lauren read about the waitress in N.Y> who received a $500 tip to go see a Broadway show. You mentioned no good luck like that had happened to you. I am sending you a "tip," sorry I can't send $500 but enough so you can buy some snacks. Enjoy them.

Happy New Year to you and Lauren.

It wasn't signed, so I don't know who to thank! This was such a nice gesture! The fact that someone took the time to send this really meant something. I think the last time I got a tip was when I was delivering pizzas in college.

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It's especially nice to get it this time of year. It sure brightened my day. Thank you to whoever sent it, and I'll be using the $10 tip to get iced coffee for Lauren and me. It's what fuels our show!