If you are searching for genuine kindness, you only need to look at a child and you will discover that their young, innocent hearts reflect the true meaning of being kind.
Houston Smith, 4 years old, is a regular at the local Arby’s restaurant at 1700 South Air Depot in Midwest City, Oklahoma. It is a place where he usually visits together with his dad, Austin. Arby’s has always been a part of this father and son’s routine.
One day, Houston saw a homeless man outside the restaurant.
The little boy was curious as to why the man always sat outside and never went inside the restaurant. He kept on asking his dad: “What’s that guy sitting out there for?” His dad would answer: “‘Well, he’s homeless, that’s why he’s sitting out there.”
Houston still did not understand why the homeless man could not eat with them inside the establishment. “Doesn’t he have any money for food or anything?” the little boy asked. His dad replied patiently and said that the homeless man had no money for food, or “anything.”
What little Houston did next was something that his dad never expected, but something that made him feel proud of his son.
The boy took $5 from his tiny pocket, put it behind his back, and asked his dad to open the doors for him. He went straight to the place where the homeless man was sitting and handed him the money with a big smile on his face. It was a moment that Austin will not forget.
Unknown to both father and son, two women who were also at the restaurant saw the selfless act of the boy and were very moved by what he did.
Karla Irving and Alicia Williams decided to go to Arby’s for lunch when they happened to over-hear little Houston’s conversation with his dad. And when the boy went out of the restaurant to hand the money to the homeless man, both women were incredibly touched by his act of kindness.
Houston’s kind gesture resonated with them and so, they decided to nominate the boy and his dad for a $400 “Pay it 4ward” award from First Fidelity Bank’s Aubree Williams.
When Aubree heard about Houston’s story, she knew that the boy totally deserved the award.
“We were so excited to hear about this Pay It 4Ward because it’s not so often that you hear of someone so young who already has such a giving heart,” Aubree told News 4.
When Houston and Austin went to Arby’s, they were surprised to receive the award, and Karla and Alicia were also there to hand it to them. The little boy turned out to be a very shy kid and could not even make eye contact.
“You’re so adorable, and we think you’re great – wait!” Karla said, while Houston tried to hide his face behind his father’s shoulder. “Look at the dollars, look look look, look at the dollars.” Karla counted the cash reward to Austin. “1, 2, 3, and 400, and that’s on behalf of First Fidelity Bank,” she finally said.
Karla and Alicia also brought gifts for Houston to replace the toys that he could have bought with the money he gave away.
The little boy could not stop marveling at them, and that’s when he finally opened up and played with the two women. His favorite toy was the rubber chicken! He ran around the restaurant and enjoyed a fun day playing with his dad, Karla, and Alicia.
That was when Deontae Blackmon, Arby’s district manager, approached them to present their own gift.
“We just got a swag bag, we’ve got an Arby’s bag, we got him a nice little hat, we got him a couple cups in here,” he said.
Also, inside the bag were 50 free meal cards that both father and son can have in their favorite restaurant! Austin could not stop smiling and thanking everyone who rewarded them with cash and gifts. The gifts they received would really help them a lot.
Austin was one proud dad.
“So proud, so proud, I’m so lucky to be his dad,” he said.
Want to know more about this inspiring story? Watch the video below and be moved by this little boy’s selfless act of kindness.
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