Suisun City (California) - Once a week, he treats himself and his children to breakfast in a diner. But this time, as the father of the family sat with them in the diner in Suisun City, California, routine threw a spanner in the works.

When he went to pay, the waitress did not return with the bill, but with a handwritten note. The Californian was irritated at first. But when he read the note, his breath caught in his throat.

"We do spontaneous acts of kindness for my daughter's birthday. Her father is away, so we chose you because you were out with your baby. Have fun!" the message read.

So the anonymous donor had already paid the bill. "After the initial shock wore off, I was grateful," explained the recipient in an interview with Newsweek this week.

The US magazine had stumbled across the curious story because the father had posted it on Reddit a few days ago under the pseudonym "OmarGooding".

There he continued the story and also revealed what he had made of it in the end.

"My children and I go out for breakfast every week. It's something special for me and I love it. It reminds me of the time I spent with my father as a child," says the family man.

He continues: "Sometimes my wife comes with me. But most of the time it's me and the kids. It's our weekly thing." Shortly after receiving the note, he was even moved to tears.

Then he had the idea to do the same as the anonymous donor. "We spent the rest of the day returning the favor," writes the father.

So one good deed led to another. This was well received by the Reddit audience. The post is now attracting thousands of likes on the portal.