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Elderly widow who was invited to eat with young man: “I think it was a God thing”

Do you mind having some company?

In 2019, Brad’s Bar-B-Que in Oxford, Alabama, was the venue where an unlikely friendship began. When 80-year-old widower Eleanor Baker went to have dinner, something unexpected happened.

“I think it was a God thing. I think God sent me there,” she said.

It was the day before what would have been her 60th marriage anniversary, and she was eating alone. However, a group of young men entered the establishment, and one noticed her. He hated seeing her alone.

Security footage shows her entering, and at about that same time, three young men arrived.

“We were all sitting there talking,” said Jamario Howard, who noticed Eleanor, describing her as an “older woman, sitting by herself.”

Jamario said he hates seeing people eat alone. “And I have seen that,” he said.

When most of us see someone eating alone, we feel that way, but our sympathy never solves anything. And Jamario really wanted to fix this, so he got up from his table and sat at hers.

“He just came up and he said, ‘I saw you sitting over here alone.’ And he said, ‘Do you mind having some company?””

“And she said, ‘Go right ahead,'” said Jamario. “And then I introduced myself and she introduced herself. And it’s just kind of how it all got started.”

They all ended up having dinner together.

The pair quickly struck up a friendly conversation. When Jamario found out about her anniversary the following day, he invited her to sit at his table. The encounter meant the world to the woman.

Eleanor, who enjoyed her time with Jamario, Tae Knight, and JaMychol Baker (no relation), stated: “It was really just a nice, pleasant evening.” Meanwhile, Jamario expressed: “I already feel like we’re her grandkids.”

What those 20-somethings did that night speaks volumes about their character. But they say it wasn’t entirely altruistic – that they enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed theirs.

“Cause when we left there, that’s all we talked about,” Tae said.

“When you make that kind of connection with somebody, it’s hard to let it go,” said JaMychol.

They have all vowed to make room for one another.

And certainly, if Eleanor’s right that God played any role in this, it may be to remind us of the joy that awaits just outside the bubbles we live in.

“I used to say when I was younger, and I still say today, I want to change the world somehow,” said Jamario. “And I don’t know how. I’m not rich. I’m not famous. And I’m not very smart either, so I can’t be president.”

“But we can show the world it’s alright to be kind,” he said. “And then, before long, maybe the world will be a much better place.”

A widow who was invited to eat with strangers: “I think God sent me there”

Netizens thanked the men for their caring gesture and commended them for making a difference in the woman’s life. One user wrote: “With all the ugliness in the world, you and your friends gave it a little beauty.”

Some also applauded Jamario’s parents for how they raised him. A person said: “No parent could be any prouder than yours must be.” They called him an angel and wished him well.

Another user added: “Jamario (and friends), what a wonderful deed you all did for this woman. What goes around comes around, and this kindness will be shown to you all. Bless you!” Undoubtedly, their gesture changed the elderly woman’s life, but it also changed theirs.

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