A lot of times it's the little acts of kindness people do that stick with strangers long after an encounter happens.
That is certainly the case for one family in the U.K. who had a sweet and memorable experience with the builder who was responsible for installing their new patio.
A Heartwarming Story About A Boy And The Man Who Built His Family's Patio
Some days you just need a feel-good story to remind you that there are always kind people out there.
A mom in the U.K. shared her own heartwarming story about her young son and the man who was in charge of building the family's new patio.
6-Year-Old Harry Loved Going Out And "Helping" The Builder
The young mom, Steph Kemp from East Yorkshire, took to Twitter to share that her family recently had their patio redone (pictured).
She explained: "My 6yo has loved going out and helping the builder."
The Builder Left A "Pay Packet" For The Boy When The Job Was Finished
What she didn't expect was that it appears the builder also really enjoyed her son Harry's company.
She shared a picture of a letter titled "Pay packet" left by the man addressed to her son.
Harry Was Compensated For "Passing Bricks And Little Pavers"
Steph said that it made her son's day to receive the note, adding, "What an example of kindness."
The builder's note thanked Harry for specific tasks including "passing bricks" and "passing little pavers."
The Pay Packet Outlined All Of Harry's Completed Work And His Rate Of Pay
According to his pay packet, Harry helped with the building process by mixing cement and loading stone.
The builder also included some non-traditional tasks that Harry took it upon himself to complete, such as "taking pictures of blackbird and spider."
Harry Asked "Why" More Times Than The Man Thought Possible
Most importantly, the builder credited Harry for his habit of "saying 'why' more times than I have ever heard anyone say 'why.'"
As any parent knows, 6 years old is the prime age to question the very fabric of the universe and not really care about the answers.
The Builder Compensated Harry £10 For His Time And Services
Lastly, the letter calls Harry "a smashing little guy" before listing his earnings and deductions for work completed.
This builder knows it's never too early to prepare for tax season so he included a section that said "minus tax and national insurance" with a total of £10 ($14 USD).
People Were Moved By The Story And Reminded Of Kind Moments In Their Own Lives
People online loved Steph's story and the sentiment behind the builder's note.
One Twitter user said that it reminded them of the sort of thing their father used to do before retirement. He must have made a lot of different people's days!
Harry Learned A Valuable Lesson From The Builder
Twitter user @pauladams40 pointed out that the builder unintentionally shared a valuable lesson with Harry.
The lesson is that no matter what Harry's contributions are, his efforts are valued and worth something.
Many Families Have Had Great Experiences With Tradespeople
Another mom shared a story about her experience with a kind tradesman who was working on their home during her pregnancy.
She said that he allowed her son to engrave his name in the concrete to make a sweet, permanent memory. A little kindness goes such a long way!
A Full-Circle Moment For A Young Boy Obsessed With The Construction Crew
A woman named Louise shared a story about her younger brother who loved to watch the construction workers out front.
He ended up mimicking them all summer with a little gift from the construction crew and was so influenced by his obsession he grew up to become a general contractor.
Army Dad Wrote 270 Heartwarming Lunchbox Notes To Daughter For Every Day He Was Deployed
When a parent is in the military or the army, it can be hard for kids to cope with the fact that they can't see their mom or dad for months or years on end. The situation is hard on any child, but one serviceman found a way to make it a little easier for his seven-year-old daughter.
Staff Sergeant Phillip Gray decided to write his daughter more than 250 notes before he left for deployment in Afghanistan, and his wife, Kristen, posted a TikTok about it. Read on to learn more about this sweet, heartwarming story, and what their daughter Rosie thought of the notes.
Philip Was Deployed In Late 2019
On October 7, 2019, Staff Sergeant Philip Gray left Fort Drum, New York for a 270-day deployment in Afghanistan.
Phillip's wife, Kristen, told Good Morning America that before he left, he wanted to take his wife's advice regarding their daughter, Rosie. So, he made sure that Rosie had something to look forward to on each day he'd have to spend away from her.
He Wrote Nearly 300 Notes For His Little Girl
Because he's a superstar dad, Philip wrote 270 little notes that Kristen would be able to put in Rosie's lunch box every day. I'm not crying, you are!
Kristen recently posted the original TikTok of her showing the notes for Veteran's Day, and the video couldn't be cuter.
The Notes Were All Different
Most of the notes contained positive messages and affirmations for Rosie. Some notes included little doodles of the family whereas others included sweet happy holiday messages (such as Happy Halloween).
Philip wrote many different messages on the notes, including sweet, simple "I love you" notes, and notes with compliments for her on them, such as "you are so smart." On one note, he even gives his daughter an "order" to have a dance party with mommy when she gets home that day!
This Story Warmed Everyone's Hearts
Philip told Good Morning America, "it's a very emotional time. I missed all the holidays. Thankfully, this time around was just under a year so I didn't have to miss birthdays as well."
People were very touched by the dad's sweet notes. And I mean, who wouldn't find this cute? You'd have to be insane not to! The video's comment section was filled with tons of positive messages like these ones.
One Woman Shared Her Family's Method
Within the comments on the video, one woman explained that when her partner goes on deployment, they give the kids two Hershey Kisses per day.
This way, the kids get a "kiss" in the morning, and a "kiss" at night. D'aww!
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The family was featured on a segment of The Kelly Clarkson Show, where Philip explains that in order for his daughter to have a note each day, he wrote 30-40 notes a day for a week.
Rosie even shares some of her favorite notes, including "always smile, it makes everyone else smile." Seriously, someone pass the tissues!
Kristen Posted Her Husband's Return On TikTok
Pictured here is a TikTok that Kristen posted of the family's reunion, with Philip and their daughter reuniting as she runs towards him. The family has a big group hug when they're finally together again.
Reunion videos like this one will always get the tears flowing, to be honest.
A New Family Ritual
Philip even told Good Morning America "Now that I'm home, she (Rosie) asks me, 'Dad are you going leave me and mom a note?'"
He tells his daughter: "Yes bug, I will leave you a note." Overall, it seems like his deployment notes started a sweet new family tradition.
