Darlene Bowden has suddenly become the most well-known school lunch lady in America.

For what? All she did was give a middle-schooler a free lunch — only to get fired by her Idaho school district employers for “theft” of public property. That would be the food for which she didn’t require payment from a student who couldn’t afford to pay for it.

The Pocatello/Chubbock school district has offered Bowden her job back. I haven’t yet heard whether she’ll go back to work there.

If she refuses, I couldn’t blame her in the least.

Bowden demonstrated the Christmas spirit by giving the youngster a lunch. The student apparently didn’t have the money to pay, so she fed the student … who, I’m guessing, was hungry.

I believe I’m going to take Bowden’s side in this dispute.

It’s Christmas, after all.

Whether she returns to work or goes on her way toward another job, that’s Bowden’s call. I won’t encourage her to take either course.

My hunch, though, is that she’ll have no trouble finding a job, given the notoriety she’s earned simply offering up an act of generosity in this season of giving.