How do you write a blog through tears of gratitude and hope? We’ll see I guess. Get out your score cards…. and I’ll tell you about the bond my son has formed with Jonathan, a driver for Pepsi Co.

As part of raising a toddler into a civilized, empathetic human (and let’s be honest – as a way to mix it up and get both errands done and distractions created for a boy who doesn’t want to sit still sometimes), Finley and I run errands on Tuesdays. Part of our route is to hit Dollar General stores in our area.

Months ago during one of our weekly outings, Finley and I kept criss-crossing the store with the Pepsi distribution/delivery guy. We would zig to get out of his way, and he would zag and apologize. After a few bouts of this do-si-do, I told him to stop apologizing. His name is Jonathan and he and Finley hit it off because my boy likes to work, loves an activity that requires boy strength, and if a large vehicle is involved…….. forget about it. Jonathan’s job hit all the right notes, plus Finley is a talker and especially loves to tell everyone about tractors. We finish our shopping and Finley wished Jonathan a good day.

The story doesn’t end there. Jonathan also delivers to the Dollar General where my mom works and that same day mentions to my mom that his day had been made earlier by meeting this cute redheaded kid out shopping with his mom. He described the encounter and how funny and sweet it was, and my mom said, “wait…. it wouldn’t happen to be this child” and produces a picture of Finley from her phone. Jonathan is flabbergasted and so another connection is born. Later, my mom tells me that Finley has a fan in the Pepsi delivery guy.

Well, this goes on for many months. We see Jonathan on our Tuesday route and he begins to show Finley how to stack and organize, tells him all about his truck and Finley is dying to help. Now, they are co-workers and at this point, friends and neighbors in our town have heard about and love this story of the friendly Pepsi guy and the talkative redhead looking for a side hustle, if not a new buddy.

What makes this more than a pleasant encounter is the fact that this busy man – on a timed schedule and on a route to many stores – took a little bit of his time to be present with Finley. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child and I don’t believe it’s just about grandparents, teachers and people from church. This man – this once stranger, without over-intellectualizing and without agenda, had invested in my son. He prioritized both his job – which he does so well in our community – and the curiosity of my child. I kept thinking, as others in the community have, that this man from Pepsi is an example of what can be right in this world.

The capper is that Jonathan went into his own pocket to make sure that Apprentice Finley got a uniform for Christmas. He had a shirt and cap made for Finley to wear “during his shift.” Theirs is the sweetest, most innocent bond. How do I not thank God for that – for Jonathan? We live in a cynical world and taking time to care about another person’s child, to notice the little stuff and to be present is a gift for which there is simply no yard stick.

This isn’t just a story about my kid; it’s a story about community. As much as we are fixated on our technology, isolated through circumstances or choice, we are still a people yearning for engagement and connection. Caring about your neighbor matters. Caring about the generation that is still unformed but right on your heels matters. Showing patience and graciousness when you have a deadline and a million other micro-decisions to make … friends THAT is a demonstration that Jonathan is teaching my son.

As we creep up to 2022, my wish is that we find and celebrate the Jonathans next year, that WE make an effort to BE a Jonathan to someone. We can both be and admire those people, and I think this is a resolution worth putting our backs into. Happy New Year to you all!