The holiday season, while it can be a wonderful time, can also be extremely stressful. Giving gifts, traveling, and cooking elaborate dinners costs plenty of money, and some families simply don’t have the income to swing the expensive season.

But there are always moments of brightness to counter these times of struggle and strife. This one, which happened at the Brief Encounter Cafe in Bellevue, Washington, will certainly warm your heart this holiday season.

It was a pretty typical day at the Brief Encounter Cafe, a local hotspot that offers delicious breakfasts and lunches. One of the diner’s regulars came in for breakfast and spent $39.60 on a nice morning meal, paid the check, and went on his way without a word.

When the waitress in charge of his table came to pick up the check and her tip, she was shocked to see an unusually large amount written on the “Tip” line.

Her customer had left $3,000 tip on his $39.60 check.

At first, she and the entire staff assumed it was a huge mistake, but then they turned the check over to discover a note written by the tipper.

It confirmed that the money had been left by Dwayne Clark, CEO of Aegis Living, and that it was far from a mistake. The note explained that he wanted to give back to the local community and that the cafe held a special place in his heart:

“You guys do a great job!” Clark wrote. “When I was 7, I washed dishes and my mom cooked in a diner just like this. We were dirt poor and didn’t have any money for Christmas. Hopefully, this will help you all have a better Christmas.”

And we’re sure it did! Besides the actual financial boost this tip gave the staff, the kind gesture undoubtedly brightened their holiday season. Seeing genuine, selfless kindness like this can sometimes be the most valuable thing in the world.

One of the waitresses at the cafe, Julie Wilson, told Today that she plans on using the money to donate five turkey dinners to Safeway, which will provide amazing holiday meals to homeless families.

Not only was the original act of kindness incredible, but it warms our hearts to see the staff paying it forward after their good fortune.