Photo: Washington Post
Like every little boy, John Coleman is obsessed with trucks.
Every Tuesday morning, the 3-year old watches in awe as the garbage truck goes by his home in Roanoke, Illinois.
His mom, Kayla noticed it was the same man driving the truck and one morning, she had the idea for John to take him a snack.
Little John walked outside and handed the driver, Craig Hodges an apple. In return, Craig honked the horn for John. "It's amazing how he opened up to me that fast," said Craig.
For the next few months, Craig and John would see each other every Tuesday morning. Craig would find John sitting on the sidewalk with a snack, usually an apple or granola bar. "Then he gives me this ginormous hug," explains Craig. "It's one of the best feelings in the world because I know it's genuine."
The two became fast friends. "As soon as I see him out there, he starts getting excited and I do the same thing," said Craig. "He honestly brightens my day."
Craig would spend about 15 minutes at the house before moving onto the next stop, which sometimes resulted in John crying.
When August rolled around, Kayla realized her son would no longer be home on Tuesday mornings as he was starting preschool. But Craig didn't hesitate to figure out a way to change his route.
After consulting with his supervisor, Craig was able to shift his schedule to stop at their house in the afternoon rather than the morning.
Craig said shifting his schedule for John was absolutely worth it, adding "I would do it again in a minute."