It’s easy to view our normal “jobs” as just that… jobs. It’s important to remember that we all have innate value and that we can show that we care for people even when doing a job we view as grinding or terribly boring. For one FedEx driver, an extra stop on his route turned into a prime example of how we can make a difference in other people’s day.
Ryan Avila is a little boy with autism.
While that is part of his story, it’s not his whole story. Ryan, a 7-year-old, LOVES trains, trucks, and anything that moves with wheels. As his mom explained, Ryan doesn’t like to talk that much, he prefers to write. That preference often results in her walking in to find him labeling his favorite toys!
All of his toys, trains, and trucks are labeled!
When he gets a new one, he is clearly excited and loves to spend hours putting it around places and adding it to his growing collection. On Easter of this year, Ryan received a toy FedEx truck. It would have been a normal gift, but this time it came with something a little… extra.
When they gave him the truck, they also had FedEx truck come and say hello to Ryan!
George is a driver for FedEx and he immediately connected with Ryan. When he pulled into the driveway that day, George was able to give Ryan a little tour of his life-sized truck while Ryan showed George his personal one!
Getting to tour the truck with a FedEx drive himself was a dream come true.
In Ryan’s mind, George was basically a superhero. He actually got to DRIVE the trucks that Ryan played with for hours. Even more, he got to wear a special purple and silver uniform! George was a superhero that delivered packages, at least for Ryan.
George was incredibly gracious and was clearly touched by the experience.
George was so touched that he ended up coming back the next day! George brought some special “FedEx” branded toys for Ryan to play with. As you could imagine, it was like Christmas day for him.
For Ryan’s mom, the visits meant everything to her.
As she explained, having a world that will accept and cherish her boy for who he is is all she ever wanted. It’s people like George who go out of their way to make room for people like Ryan who make all the difference.
Moments like that can have a huge impact on others.
Meeting people where they are and being a genuinely kind person is something that makes an impact that will never be forgotten. Now, Ryan can’t go out on the street without seeing a truck and thinking about the man who was nice to him.
Check out the video below to see Ryan’s reaction to the FedEx truck pulling up!
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