Our two year old son, Charles, has always been unconventional about anything with wheels. Cars, fire trucks, and garbage trucks, if it rolled, he got happy and excited. He would sit outside with me just to watch the garbage and recycling trucks go by in our neighborhood. He especially loved when the drivers honked and waved. Charles smiled, returned the wave, and quietly said, “Thank you.”
One of the workers stood out to us. His name was Lonnie. He always waved and would even pick up any recycling that had fallen on the ground. Charles loved watching him and talked about him all day. Lonnie remarked, ‘As soon as the pandemic ends, i will let you take a ride in my truck.’ Unfortunately, I had to inform him that we would be relocating in two weeks. Charles would not have the opportunity.
A week later, the recycling truck came late in the day. We almost missed it. I grabbed Charles, and we rushed outside. Lonnie honked and stopped. He got out of the truck holding a gift bag filled with a lot of surprises for Charles; there was a hat, a vest, a toy trash can, coloring books, crayons and even a cute water bottle. Charles was thrilled, especially about the tiny trash cans. Lonnie said he wanted to stay in touch and gave us his number. Once he drove away, I noticed I had not taken a photo of Charles alongside him. My heart dropped, particularly since we were relocating soon.
The next day, while Charles and I were outside, a man in a waste management uniform came up. He said he was Lonnie’s supervisor and asked if we had been home at 11 a.m. Lonnie had something special planned. I said yes and quickly told the neighbors to come by.
At 11 a.m. Right on time, five big garbage trucks came down our street, honking and waving. It was a mini-parade just for Charles. Lonnie got off one truck, came into our yard, and hugged Charles. He said, “This is all for you.” Everyone watching smiled and had tears in their eyes. It was such a beautiful moment.
I shared the story on Instagram, and soon our pastor asked to share it in a sermon about kindness and courage. We were happy he wanted to tell others about Lonnie’s caring heart. He went above and beyond his job to make a little boy feel special. We will never forget it.
Even after moving, Charles talks about Lonnie all the time. He plays pretend games, pretending to ride the truck with his buddy. He prays for him at bedtime. He continues to wear the hat that Lonnie gifted him and remarks, “I resemble Lonnie.”
We stay in touch, so Lonnie can watch Charles grow. I hope Charles grows up to be just as kind and brave as Lonnie. Following the truck parade, Charles summed it up well: “Lonnie great.” I adore him.
