No matter where you are, it's not always easy to own up to something you did wrong, and do the right thing regardless of whether or not you'll be forgiven for it. Accepting responsibility isn't always something that comes with the reassurance that you'll feel better for doing the right thing, so it takes a strong type of person to go through with it while knowing they may have to live with what they did forever.
To that end, you have to commend the person who sent a sum of $1,000 to Carlotta Flores, along with a letter explaining that they stole a sum of money from Flores 20 years ago. It's a heartwarming story that shows that even in a world where your every mistake is amplified and never forgotten, it's never too late to do the right thing.
Carlotta Flores, owns the El Charro Mexican restaurant in Tucson, Arizona, and has done so for quite a while with her family. During that time, plenty of people are sure to have come in and out of the restaurant, but earlier this week, Flores was surprised to hear from one of her former employees from the 90s.
Another one of El Charro's owners, Ray Flores, shared the handwritten letter that Carlotta received in the mail, adding that while the author of this letter didn't reveal who she was, that didn't retract from her message. "You don’t always have to tell someone who you are to make things right for you both," Ray said.
So, what exactly was in that letter? Here it is in full for your reading pleasure.
"Dear Carlotta + Family-
I worked for you as a waitress very briefly back in the 1990's, while a student at U of A. One of the waiters I worked with had encouraged me to 'forget' to ring in a few drinks a shift and pocket the cash. And for some stupid reason, I did it. I grew up in the church, I knew better. I hadn't stolen a dime before then, nor have I since. Thankfully, I was a terrible waitress and you all fired me before it could amount to more than a few hundred dollars total. It's been 20 years, but I still carry great remorse. I am very sorry that I stole from you. Please accept my apology + this money as a repayment + 20 years of interest. May God forever bless you+ your family.
-A Thankful Former Employee"
There's nothing like a good redemption story, and this former employee's letter has resonated with many in the Facebook community, having been shared hundreds of times in the past few days. Flores said the letter deeply moved her employees, not to mention herself.
"I had my purse stolen and this sort of renewed the faith that we had a lot of good people out there," revealed Carlotta Flores on local news outlets. "I don't know where she's at or who she is but I will tell you one thing. I hope that she's read or has seen what an impact this has made not only on me, my family, my business but where it will go in the future so I hope she keeps looking to see what we're doing with it."
The best part of all this? Carlotta doesn't even want to keep the cash, saying she intends to track down the woman who wrote this and give her the money back. You go, Carlotta.
