The heat that Tuesday was unbearable. I watched from the porch as my five-year-old, Eli, drew chalk dinosaurs while a visibly exhausted mailman struggled up the street. Neighbors made careless, cruel comments, but Eli only held my hand and asked why people were being so unkind.
When the mailman finally reached us, Eli ran inside and returned with a cold cup of water and a chocolate bar. “You look thirsty,” he said simply. The man was deeply moved, thanked Eli, and went on his way. That night, Eli drew a picture of the mailman as a hero and taped it to the fridge.
The next afternoon, a red Bugatti pulled up outside Eli’s preschool. The driver stepped out—it was the mailman, now in a sharp white suit. He explained that he was a successful businessman who, once a year, walks a mail route to remember where he came from and why he supports postal workers through his foundation. Eli’s small act of kindness had stood out because it came with no expectations.
He gave Eli a miniature red car as a keepsake. Weeks later, we received a letter and a $25,000 check for Eli’s future, with a note encouraging him to pay kindness forward.
We opened a college account, but the real reward was Eli’s takeaway. He proudly said he wanted to be “nice like Mr. Mailman” and asked if we had more cups—so the next tired worker would never go thirsty either.