A friendship between a one-year-old girl and a sanitation truck driver started simply: with a wave.
Every time Don Wilson drives by, he said the little girl, Hazel Elford, is outside waiting to wave to him.
It started over a month ago, when Elford was just staring at the Kavanaugh Bros. Ltd. truck for only one week, Teya Heron the little girl’s mother said.
But for Hazel, just staring at the truck driving as it passed her place on Con Road was not enough.
Her mother said “one day she waved at him and sure enough he waved really big so that she could see him.”
“She’s a little girl and she was excited, you can see her up there, so when she waved at me when I was leaving, I waved back,”said Wilson.
The little girl’s mother said the two of them has been waving at each other every two days. She posted about the budding friendship on Facebook.
“When I see how happy it makes her to see her friend, it warms my heart knowing something so simple can make her so happy and proud,” Heron said. “I’m thankful he understands what it’s like to have a little one.”
Wilson’s employer appreciated the gesture on social media.
“Thanks for the rave!” Kavanaugh Bros. commented on the Facebook post, which has collected more than 250 reactions since it was posted July 18. The company provides sanitation and vacuum truck services to the city on a contract basis. “Your little one is so cute! I showed Don (the driver) your video this morning! He remembers her and looks forward to seeing her!”
Heron added: “I’d like to thank him for acknowledging all the children he waves too, I hope he understands the level of happiness he brings them. It doesn’t matter what age or gender your child is, if they find something they like, encourage it.”
Wilson has been driving this truck for close to six months, “and there are several kids around town that wave and they are always pulling their arms to get you to honk the horn,” he said.