MINEOLA, Texas — It’s the season of giving and sharing holiday cheer. That’s exactly what an East Texas police officer did through a random act of kindness when he bought a local resident breakfast at the McDonald's in Mineola.
During a Veteran's Day parade, Miryam Rivas and her daughter met Mineola police officer Donivan South. He was directing traffic when Rivas' daughter noticed South, and he gave her a look inside his patrol unit.
"My daughter was like, 'Oh look there’s a cop there,' (she was) super excited so I took a few videos," Rivas said.
Rivas and South enjoyed the rest of the parade together with their families, then parted ways. The following Monday, Rivas was having a rough morning.
"I was just not feeling good, contemplating whether I should go to work or not," Rivas said.
Rivas stopped at McDonald’s where she was surprised by a kind gesture by the driver in front of her.
"I got to the pay station, and they (McDonald's workers) said he purchased your breakfast for you, and I was like no way," Rivas said.
Out of all the restaurants in town and all the cars in this McDonald's drive-thru, Rivas was behind South.
"I really didn’t expect to see her on Monday at the drive-thru behind me," South said.
Rivas said she's been going through a lot in her life recently. This small act of kindness meant the world to her.
"It really means a lot that somebody will take time out of their life and wallet to just put a smile on somebody’s face," Rivas said.
Rivas didn’t get a chance to tell South thank you, so she took to social media to find him.
"My brain did not allow me to remember his name, so I just wanted to give him a shoutout and I said, 'Hey, if anyone knows him just tell him I said thank you,'" Rivas said.
Rivas said $7 may not be a lot but for her, it was a memory she will cherish.
"You don’t know how much someone is struggling, emotionally, physically, financially," Rivas said. "To have a smile on somebody’s face means more than just a couple of bucks."
South was surprised to see his social media flooded with positive comments.
"My Facebook was blowing up with, 'that was Donivan,' and I was like, 'oh wow,'" South said.
In the line of duty to protect and serve, South sees it the other way around.
"That’s what we’re here for: to be a part of the community," South said.