Garbage man changes route every week just to meet his little neighborhood friend

Forming a friendship with an unexpected person can be deeply meaningful, like the bond between 3-year-old John Coleman from Illinois and his local garbage collector, Craig Hodges. Each Tuesday, John eagerly waits for the garbage truck’s arrival, making collection day one of the highlights of his week, according to PEOPLE. On these days, John and Craig excitedly greet each other, a ritual they’ve cherished for nearly a year.

Hodges lets John climb up into the truck to play, honk the horn, and explore. Sometimes, John even brings treats like an apple from home. Their goodbyes are always hard. "'Beep beep your horn,' he's been saying that forever," the kid's mom, Kayla Coleman, told the outlet. However, their meetings had come to a stop as the 3-year-old started going to preschool during the time. However, to ensure Hodges could continue seeing his little buddy, he changed his route and schedule a little so he could reach Coleman's house in the afternoon when he returned home from school.

"We were super appreciative that he could rearrange everything for us. His snacks got a little bit better!" the mom revealed. "I love the trash truck. Craig is my friend," Coleman expressed. The boy has known Hodges for ten months now. The friendship began with the toddler's interest in trucks and his mom's suggestion that he should bring the man a little snack. "I want my kid to learn how to be kind and show appreciation." The mom admitted, "He was like, 'Is it trash truck day? Is it trash truck day?' Most people count down to Friday, but we were counting down until Tuesday."

"He pretends to load the trash and Craig lets John push the buttons and he'll educate him on everything," the mom explained. "Craig told me this is his favorite part of his week. He said, 'I could be having a bad week, but I know tomorrow I'm going to see this little boy and it's going to make my whole day.'" Hodges said. "He does this every week. It's my favorite part of the week," per 25 News Now. The proud mom, who is happy that her son has learned kindness at such an early age, emphasized, "If it wasn't for someone picking up your trash, what would you do with it? So just be kind."

John always ends his visit with a heartfelt, “See you next week.” The duo's friendship has also sparked other kids' interest in seeing and being inside a truck. To address the same, Roanoke Fire Protection District and GFL have decided to hold a "touch a truck event" for any kid who wants to see a truck up close and touch it from the inside on Sunday, November 3. The event will occur from 1 pm to 5 pm behind Roanoke-Benson High School.