Jamario Howard and his two friends, JaMychol Baker and Tae Knight, went to grab some lunch at Brad’s Bar-B-Que in Oxford, Alabama.

Little did they know one simple encounter would change their outlook on life — and turn them into hometown heroes.

During their meal, Jamario looked over and noticed an elderly woman eating all by herself. The sight of her dining alone broke his heart, and he felt an instant sense of empathy.

Dang, I’d hate to have to eat alone, he thought, according to an interview with NBC News.

He couldn’t tell just by looking at her, of course, but the woman — Eleanor — was recently widowed.

She was there eating at Brad’s Bar-B-Que on the day before what would have been her and her husband’s 60th wedding anniversary. Eleanor keeps herself busy by visiting with her grandchildren and doing volunteer work at a local hospital. She misses her husband every day.

Jamario and his friends then performed an act of kindness that’s taking the internet by storm. He went on Facebook to share an inspiring message:

“The point in this is always be kind and be nice to people. You never know what they are going through. This woman changed my outlook on life and how I look at other people.”

“Everyone has a story so do not judge! And people, I can’t stress this enough. GO SEE YOUR MOM AND YOUR GRANDPARENTS. They miss you!!”

Watch the video below to see the photo that garnered so much attention in such little time.