A 12-year-old honors the cafeteria worker who came to her rescue in first grade : NPR

This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.

When Clara Temple was in first grade, about six years ago, she always brought lunch to school. But one day, there was a mix-up. She had to get a hot lunch from the cafeteria.

When Temple got in line, she noticed that the other kids were entering their student ID numbers on a keypad before getting their food. But because it was her first time ordering the school lunch, she didn’t know her student ID. She panicked as she moved toward the front of the line.

“When it came time to type in my number, I froze, and I felt embarrassed like everyone was watching me,” the now 12-year-old remembered.

“All the kids were like, ‘Come on, keep moving, what are you doing?’ And I just cried.”

The worker at the register and a few friends tried to help her, but Temple couldn’t stop crying, and she crumpled to the floor. That’s when her unsung hero rushed over: one of the other workers serving lunches in the cafeteria.

“The lunch lady came in and stopped all her work,” Temple said. “She came in and picked me up [and] put me on my feet.”

As Temple continued to cry, the woman seemed to know exactly what to do. She helped her remember her number and made sure Temple got her lunch.

“I just felt so comfortable. And it was almost like she understood truly what I was feeling,” Temple said.

By then, Temple had fully calmed down. The woman brought Temple over to her table, gave her a hug, and told her she was going to be alright. And then the woman left.

The then-first-grader sat at the table with her friends, trying to absorb what had just happened.

“It didn’t sound like a big deal to other people, but it was a really, really big deal for me,” Temple said.

“And I just want her to know how much she made a difference. And I hope she knows how much she helped me that day.”

My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.