An act of kindness doesn’t need to be grand for it to have a tremendous impact on someone.
These acts can also be done by anyone, no matter the profession, age, creed, religion, race, or any other thing that draws boundaries.
A sanitation worker from Wyre Forest proved that a simple gesture can leave a profound experience even for someone as old as 100 years old.
One day, Ben Bird, the sanitation worker, walked up to Dorothy Ballard’s home.
The old woman, also known as Mercy, has always been one of Bird’s most frequent interactions.
This time, however, Bird has something much more memorable in mind.
Bird walked carefully to her door carrying a small cake with three candles.
He shielded the candles from the wind while Ballard shielded her eyes from the tears.
The sanitation workers sang “Happy Birthday” to the old woman.
They even encouraged her to make a wish.
Ballard, with a life filled with experiences, memories, and relationships, couldn’t think of one.
Bird then joked that she should wish to live up to 105. With a heart filled with gratitude, Ballard blew out her candles.
Ballard was born in 1919.
However, this tremendous generation gap didn’t deter her and Bird from being friends.
Bird shared that he has been working as a sanitation worker for about 11 years, and for 8 of those years, he has been collecting Ballard’s rubbish.
And through his ten-hour shifts, he always makes sure he spends 10 minutes hanging out with the old lady.
“I talk to her every Thursday from 8:00 am to 8:10 am, and every time I walk up her garden path, she will be there waiting for me,” Ben said, as quoted by Birmingham Mail.
The two talk about a lot of things.
Bird said that Ballard has great insights into how things have changed in a hundred years.
When she was born, people were still using rotary phones. Now, she told Bird, that she couldn’t “get her head around” this generation’s phones.
Bird also shared with Ballard some stories about his family. Ballard was even elated when she learned that Bird’s daughter had the same name as her mother.
Ballard’s family members appreciate Bird so much.
They shared with the local news that their great-grandmother speaks so highly of Bird.
Bird’s team also knows the importance of these interactions.
“We have deadlines to meet on our round, but my colleagues carry on and let me catch them up – I could not pass Dorothy’s house without stopping to speak to her,” Ben said.
Their interaction had garnered millions of views and made rounds on social media.
When offered money for the story, Bird politely refused and suggested that the funds be redirected instead to the Midlands Air Ambulance.
Their story reminds us that it doesn’t take too much to profoundly impact someone’s life.
It only shows that in the end, we will all be remembered for the kindness we showed, the generosity we shared, and the compassion we readily expressed.
Watch how these sanitation workers make a centenarian cry on her birthday.
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