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After Spending Years Trying to Cut Autistic Boy’s Hair, Compassionate Barber Has Breakthrough

Lisa Ann McKenzie has spent the last two years trying to cut the hair of a 10-year-old boy with autism – and not only has her most recent breakthrough resulted in a successful haircut for the boy, but it has also led dozens of other special needs kids to her chair as well.

McKenzie first met Jordie Rowlands when she was working at a barbershop in Northlakes, Australia. Jordie’s parents had brought in the youngster for a haircut and he was to be McKenzie’s first ever nonverbal client in the course of her 30-year career.

Unfortunately, it was a total disaster.

The experience was too frightening for the youngster, and even though McKenzie diligently followed Jordie around the shop and lie on the ground with him, she was only able to get a few snips in before he became too agitated.

CHECK OUT: Plane Passengers Are Left “In Awe” of Woman’s Kindness Towards Agitated Boy With Autism

“I felt that I’d failed, and it made me want to do better,” McKenzie told the Washington Post. “It made me want to learn more about autism so I could connect with him and take away his fear.”

Determined to succeed, McKenzie asked Jordie’s parents to bring the youngster in to the shop every two weeks at closing time. She also refused to charge them any money for her attempted services.

Despite trying dozens of different methods, however, McKenzie was still unable to cute Jordie’s hair. She even tried cutting the boy’s hair at home, but to no avail.

MOREStore Finds the Cutest Way for Autistic Boy to Keep Himself Busy in the Aisles

To make matters more frustrating, the owner of the barbershop found out about Jordie’s appointments and disciplined McKenzie for cutting a client’s hair after hours.

“Working for a chain barber, you have to be robots with everything black and white [and] no grey areas!!” McKenzie wrote on Facebook. “I quit shortly after without any plans for my future.”

After leaving the store in Northlakes, she opened her own shop called the Celtic Barber Rothwell Central.

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Jordie continued making regular visits to her shop – and then a few weeks ago, McKenzie had a breakthrough with the youngster: she started singing “The Wheels On The Bus”.

“I didn’t know he was into nursery rhymes, I was just trying to calm him,” she told The Post. “He looked at me like mesmerized. I had him. That was it.”

After two years of perseverance, McKenzie was finally able to give Jordie a full haircut.

“Tears were rolling down my face. His mom was crying, his dad was crying, all of us,” she said.

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“Jordie now walks in holding my hand and sits in the chair with a gown on. We get through the cut our own special way and he now manages a full haircut and we can style it. Amazingly, he now interacts with me and I even get a hug at the end!” McKenzie wrote on Facebook.

After posting a video of her success on Facebook, news of her abilities spread around town and she now has 100 special needs customers. In order to accommodate her new clients, McKenzie has trained her four other barbers on how to properly work with them as well.

The shop also sets aside one Sunday out of the month for autism-friendly appointments only.

“The Celtic Barber family is very proud to be an autistic-friendly barber and to think outside the box!” she says.

(WATCH the video below)

Cut Negativity Out Of Your Life: Click To Share (Photo by Lisa Ann Elizabeth McKenzie)

Get the Buzz on the First House-trained Bumblebee and Its Loving Pet Owner

The world is abuzz with news of a Scottish woman who may have been the first person to ever own a bumblebee as a pet.

55-year-old Fiona Presly first found her tiny friend when she was working in her garden last spring.

When the library assistant found that the insect had been born without wings, she took the bee inside and kept it cozy in a crate filled with flowers and grasses.

Presly told the Scotsman: “I put my hand down in front of her and she crawled on to it right away. I looked at her and thought, ‘Something’s not right here, she’s got no wings.’”

WATCHHummingbird Refuses to Leave the Dog Who Saved Her Life

“She made sort of clicks, buzzy sounds when she was in close contact with me and was happy to sit and groom, eat, drink and sleep on my hand,” she added.

As the weather outside of Presly’s home in Inverness started to worsen, she realized that the buff-tailed bumblebee queen would not survive in the wilderness on her own – so she adopted it as a pet.

The insect, which Presly named “Bee”, became the woman’s house-trained companion.

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“We were both very comfortable with each other, and many people admired this bond,” says Presly. “She was totally relaxed with me. People have a bond with their dog or cat and even their hamster. I think I have proved here that you can have a relationship with an insect.”

While not much is known about how bees may or may not experience emotions, bee psychologist Lars Chittka from the Queen Mary University of London says that Bee’s bond with Presly may be based on a physical connection.

LOOK:Man Single-handedly Repopulated Butterfly Species in a City Using His Backyard

“The desired state for a bumblebee queen is to be surrounded by other bees, therefore it seems plausible that such an individual should feel something rewarding from being surrounded by living beings,” says Chittka. “Also the queen might feel the opposite of that when alone, because this would signify it hadn’t succeeded in founding a colony.

That being said, the friendship is still a mystery to researchers.

“No scientist to my knowledge has tested whether bees, even with each other, form some sort of emotional relations. So I think it’s quite remarkable that a layman would make such detailed observations that actually get scientists to scratch their heads and ask what’s going on there.”

Click To Share This Unbeelievable Story With Your Friends (Photo by Fiona Presly)

“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

Quote of the Day: “Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

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How Giving Up His Possessions and Homes Made This Millionaire Happier and More Successful

The Lesson: Recently, serial entrepreneur James Altucher gave away all of his earthly possessions and decided to live the life of a nomad with no place to call home. Why? In order to attain the one thing money can’t buy: happiness. James tells Dave how his nomadic lifestyle has allowed him to increase his creativity, mental well-being and how it’s allowed him to finally find contentment.

Notable Excerpt: “Of course there’s big decisions like, ‘Who should I be in a relationships with? Where should I live?’ And all that stuff, but then there’s just thousands of mini decisions where, ‘My wifi is down, who do I call to fix it?’ Or things like, ‘I gotta buy a chair for this’ or ‘I’ve gotta maintain this.’ … What I wanted to do was make a larger percentage of the day – every day let’s say we make ten thousand choices, big and small – so I wanted to make a bigger percentage of my choices about what I really want to do as opposed to things that I have to do or choices that I have to make … I’m sentimental for some of the things I’ve thrown out, but it’s not about being perfectly happy all the time. It’s about, today, making as many choices as possible that I want to make.”

The Guest: James Altucher is a self-made millionaire, best-selling author, podcast host, and venture capitalist. In addition to writing half a dozen books on reinvention and self-fulfillment, he has appeared on a number of critically-acclaimed podcasts, panels, and shows for his wisdom.

The Host: Dave Asprey, the CEO and Founder of Bulletproof, is a biohacker (changing his environment from the inside-out to have full control of his biology). For nearly two decades, he’s been questioning the status quo of nutrition and medicine so he could feel better—and have more energy in his 40s than he had in his 20s. Join more than 1 million biohackers who follow Bulletproof for leading-edge information on how to supercharge your body and upgrade your brain.

Books: Asprey is the author of “The Bulletproof Diet” – a guide on how to feel more energized and lose weight – and “Head Strong: The Bulletproof Plan to Activate Untapped Brain Energy to Work Smarter and Think Faster-in Just Two Weeks”. Altucher is the author of “40 Alternatives to College”, “Reinvent Yourself”, and “Choose Yourself!

Podcast: The Bulletproof podcast is available on PodcastOneiTunesStitcher, and YouTube.

(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below or read the transcript) Photo by James Altucher, CC

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When Woman Leaves Giant Sign For Thief Who Stole Her Bike, People Start Knocking on Her Door

Photo by Amanda Needham

When a thief stole Amanda Needham’s bike from the front of her home, she left a giant angry sign in its place as an expression of frustration. Though she was not expecting anything to come from the sign, she was surprised when it spurred several strangers to knock on her door.

Needham’s trusty bike was stolen last Saturday night while it was chained up in front of her home in Brooklyn. Heartbroken by the injustice, she left a note for the thief in bright yellow paint on a piece of cardboard eight feet wide.

The note read: “To the person who stole my bicycle. I hope you need it more than I do. It was $200 used, and I need it to get to work. I can’t afford another one. Next time, steal a hipster’s Peugeot. Or not steal! PS: Bring it back.”

“I felt a little foolish writing the sign,” Needham wrote in a blog post. “After all, if my husband and I had spent nearly as much time double securing my bicycle as I did writing the sign, I might not be in the situation. But I knew other people’s bicycles had been stolen in the neighborhood, and the least I could do was acknowledge what had happened. I left it up for seven days.”

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A few days after hanging the sign, two young men knocked on Needham’s door with a blue teenager-sized mountain bike in hand. One of the gentlemen said that his own bike had also been stolen from the neighborhood, and he wanted to give Needham the replacement bike so she could get to work.

“I was flustered by the offer and tried to deflect, saying I really appreciated it, but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to use it. What was clear, however, was that it wasn’t about the bicycle, it was about their desire to help. I accepted, touched by the humanity of the gesture,” says Needham.

A few more days later, a middle-aged woman stopped by and said that she worked in the neighborhood, saw the sign, and had made her husband drive the car around the block for a second time so she could knock on Needham’s door and ask her what kind of bicycle she needed.

Be Sure To Check Out The Rest Of The Story Below…

To Celebrate Year of the Dog, Google’s Street Perspective Adds ‘Pup View’ Feature

As a means of celebrating the Year of the Dog, you can now see this Japanese city from the perspective of a pup.

On Friday, Google unveiled the first ever visuals of its new Maps feature called “Pup View”.

The feature is similar to the app’s “Street View”, which allows viewers to get 360-degree images of city streets from a pedestrian’s perspective – except “Pup View” is from the perspective of a dog.

Google workers in the northern city of Ōdate recruited the help of three intrepid Japanese Akitas named Ako, Asuka and Puuko for the mission. The pups were then taken on scenic walks through the city with 360-degree cameras strapped to their backs.

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Since the “Pup View” visuals explores many of Ōdate’s off-road hotspots, city workers hope that the fun feature will help encourage tourism.

“Google Street View is extremely valuable because people can enjoy views in addition to map information. It might be interesting to create 360-degree video from [an] Akita dog’s point of view,” said Shimada Kyosuke, the director of Odate City’s tourism division.

“Beautiful views with [the] fuzzy coat of [an] Akita dog is special and unique idea that only Odate city can provide,” he added.

(WATCH the video with subtitles below)

Click To Share The Pawesome News With Your Friends (Photo by Google)

Nova Scotia Becomes 1st Province to Ban Cat Declawing

Nova Scotia has just became the first Canadian province to officially ban the practice of electively declawing cats.

The ban was originally passed by the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association in December, but now after a 3-month processing period, the procedure will only be allowed if it is medically necessary for the cat or owner.

If a veterinarian is found in violation of the ban, they could lose their license to practice.

Animal welfare organizations oppose the surgery because it’s a painful procedure that is typically done to save furniture despite many cats displaying physical and mental complications in the years following the operation. Over 20 other countries in the world and several American cities have already adopted declawing bans because it’s considered animal cruelty.

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Some pet owners and projects opposed the bill because they believe that the reasons behind such an act is between an animal caregiver and their veterinarian.

However, studies show that declawed cats have increased chances of being relinquished to shelters – and thus euthanasia – because of behavioral tendencies that follow declawing, such as soiling the carpet and increased aggression. Additionally, cities and regions that have enacted declawing bans alongside educational programs and resources on pet care have actually seen a reduction in animal shelter intake or no causal link at all.

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According to CBC, retired veterinarian and anti-declawing advocate Hugh Chisholm said: “I see declawing as a mutilation of an animal for no direct benefit to the animal. It’s something that’s done mostly to protect furniture.

“There will always be people who will do it, there will always be people who will want it done, unless there’s a ban in place. That’s why we do need the ban. Because one declaw is one too many.”

Click To Share The Pawesome News With Your Friends

Missing Boy Brings Barbecue Dinner to Officers Who Toiled to Find Him

Zachery Long didn’t didn’t mean to cause concern when he ran into the woods earlier this week – he just really did not want to get stitches.

The 10-year-old had just wrecked his bike and returned to his home in Chesterfield, Virginia on Tuesday night when his parents said that he may have to go to the hospital to get his injury treated.

Zachery, who “once had a bad experience with stitches”, fled into the woods in fear.

The community then launched a search effort to track down the frightened youngster. Zachery’s parents, the neighbors, and local police officers spent four hours trying to find him and console his anxiety.

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Finally, at about 10PM, police officials found the boy hiding in some bushes and reunited him with his parents.

Then as a thank you for their kindness, Zachery brought barbecue dinner and side dishes to the police department on Saturday evening.

“Zachary brought dinner for the officers to show his appreciation,” said Sgt. K. Rollins of the Chesterfield Police Department, according to WTVR.

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The Kindness With Your FriendsPhoto by Chesterfield County Police Department

“You cannot achieve mastery by patterning yourself after another, or by following custom or tradition. Sheep and plodders do that… To enjoy enduring success, we should travel a little in advance of the world.” – John McDonald

Quote of the Day: “You cannot achieve mastery by patterning yourself after another, or by following custom or tradition. Sheep and plodders do that… To enjoy enduring success, we should travel a little in advance of the world.” – John McDonald

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Company Recycles Cigarette Butts and Turns Them into Useful Things Instead

If you have ever mourned the number of cigarette butts littering your local streets, take heart that they can actually be used as a resource to produce new products—and you can get involved.

Terracycle is a New Jersey-based firm that has been doing great things for over ten years, specializing in recycling the “unrecyclable”, including plastic packaging, diapers, and cigarette butts.

The company has partnered with businesses, cities, and consumers around the world to collect used filters so they can be ‘upcycled’ into something useful.

Instead of throwing the butts into a trash can, after which they end up in landfills, Terracycle distributes designated cigarette receptacles for smokers to trash the butts. Once the receptacles are full and returned to Terracycle, the filters—which are made of a tougher kind of plastic material called cellulose acetate—can then be melted down and used for things like park benches and shipping pallets.

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The recycling process can get pretty expensive, but Terracycle receives funding from cigarette manufacturers to help cover the costs of the program so the service is free for cities and individual participants.

As an added incentive for people to engage in the project, Terracycle also donates $1 to the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention program for every pound of cigarette butts they receive.

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Since the company launched the program in 2012, more than 90 million cigarette butts have been collected from over 12,000 locations around the world.

Want to get in on the program? Visit the Terracycle website to sign up for your own smoker’s receptacle.

(WATCH the National Geographic video below)

Pass On The Positivity: Click To Share With Your Friends (Photo by National Geographic)

Guy Runs Marathon With a New Heart, Young Organ Donor’s Dad Shows Up to Cheer Him On

It has been two years since John Dickhout endured a massive heart attack that left him in dire need of a new organ. At the same time, 22-year-old Adam Prashaw passed away following a severe seizure and Dickhout received his heart.

Thanks to a successful operation and recovery, John was able to run his first marathon since the surgery – and Adam’s father, Rick, showed up to cheer him on.

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When John crossed the finish line, Prashaw Sr. was there to greet him with a hug, clapping and cheering for the accomplishment of the man who was thriving with his son’s heart.

“It was just like watching my kid in a hockey game,” Prashaw told CTV News. “Seeing [John] just living and choosing life … all because of Adam’s gift means the world to us.”

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The Heartwarming Story With Your FriendsPhoto by CTV News

Watch Orphan Elephant Conquer His Fear of Water With Help From His Loving Human

Moyo the baby elephant was only a few days old when his loving human mother found him orphaned and alone on the shores of a lake in Zimbabwe.

After searching the area for his herd and waiting four days to see if the pachyderms would return, Roxy Danckwerts and the other conservationists at Wild is Life Zen Sanctuary determined that Moyo was alone.

Danckwerts took the young elephant into her care – and they have been virtually inseparable ever since.

With 15 months of therapy and care, Moyo has overcome much of the trauma imprinted by his abandonment and near drowning at Lake Kariba; and this week, he was finally able to overcome his fear of large bodies of water.

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An endearing video published by the BBC shows Danckwerts and Moyo’s canine companion Josephine trying to coax the nervous orphan into the water.

Once he discovers that there is nothing to be afraid of, he starts to play in the water. Danckwerts, meanwhile, can’t stop smiling over Moyo’s victory.

(WATCH the video below)

Make A Splash: Click To Share The Sweet Video With Your FriendsPhoto by BBC

“Out of nowhere, my wife showed up—big smile on her face—and she’d made me a sandwich. She cut it in half diagonally, poured Fritos in the middle, and gave me an ice cold beer. That’s love, right?” – Bill Burr

Quote of the Day: “Out of nowhere, my wife showed up—big smile on her face—and she’d made me a sandwich. She cut it in half diagonally, poured Fritos in the middle, and gave me an ice cold beer. That’s love, right?” – Bill Burr

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It’s Official: The VW Bus is Back and it’s Electric

According to Volkswagen, the future is looking groovy.

The German automaker recently announced that they would be releasing an electronic version of the iconic hippie microbus by 2022. The bus, which is being called The Buzz, is one of 30 electronic models that the company hopes to release to the public.

In addition to the remodeled bus, Volkswagen has also released the concept art for two other models – a hatchback and a crossover SUV –that will pave the way for a more environmentally-friendly line of cars.

“For me, the Buzz concept is the most beautiful and most exciting electric car in the world,” said Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management for the Volkswagen brand in California.

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“Our goal is clear: we want to make the fully electric, fully connected car a bestseller around the world. The iconic car of the electric age must be a Volkswagen.”

“These cars will offer everything – and even more – than you have seen from other electric carmakers,” says Diess. “And they will be much more affordable.”

Plus, as a means of reconciling for their heinous history of diesel-fueled engines and pollution, WIRED says that Volkswagen has agreed to pour millions of dollars into funding the expansion of charging stations across America.

(WATCH the promo video below)

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Students Worried About Parked Police Car at School Until They Saw What He was Doing

While students and parents discussed their concern over the police car that was parked outside of school two weeks ago, their worries soon melted away when they realized what the officer was doing.

Officer Sean Morris had pulled over on the side of the road in front of Edison-Bethune Charter Academy in Fresno, California so he could feed a stray pit bull mutt that had been sifting through the trash.

Morris had reportedly spotted the dog as he was making his rounds throughout the neighborhood earlier in the day. Worried about the pup’s physical condition, the officer bought a bag of dog food at a nearby store and returned to the scene.

When he found the canine, it was trying to eat a dead squirrel that was in the middle of road.

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Morris herded the dog towards the sidewalk, kneeled onto the pavement, and poured out a bowl of dog food. When the pup gobbled down the whole meal, Morris poured him another one.

Mary Solis, who is a truancy officer at Edison-Bethune, snapped a photo of the officer’s kind gesture, and later posted it on social media.

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“It was cool to see the officer do that,” said Solis. “You know, usually when the kids see an officer, they think something bad happened. Some of the parents had stopped and were worried.

“But then we saw the kind gesture. It was real heart-warming.”

There have been no updates on the dog’s whereabouts since the story was shared two weeks ago – but Officer Morris has received an outpouring of praise for his compassion.

Click To Share The Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Marty Solis)

Cambridge University Bids Farewell to Stephen Hawking With a Heartfelt Video Tribute

The world is mourning the loss of famed physicist Stephen Hawking after he passed away in his home on Wednesday at the age of 76.

As a means of honoring their longtime colleague, Cambridge University published a touching video tribute with a clip from a speech that Hawking gave for his 75th birthday.

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Hawkings says: “So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist be curious and however difficult life may seem there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”

(WATCH the video below)

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“May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.” – An Irish Blessing

Quote of the Day: “May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.” – Irish Blessing

Photo: by Cohdra, CC license

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Humble Waitress Who Sliced Ham for Senior Rewarded Big Time After Texans Swoon Over Photo (Good News Guru Radio)

She didn’t think much of cutting the ham of a senior customer at Waffle House – but thanks to a nearby stranger, her good deed earned her an amazing reward. Hear The Good News Guru tell the inspiring story. (Read more and see a video on GNN…)

Has Your Self-Help Become Self-Criticism?

The Lesson: In an age of readily available motivational resources, some people who are trying to improve their mindset and lifestyle can feel inadequate with the standards that they set for themselves. The self-help practices that we utilize may end up turning into self-criticism and resentment. Danielle Laporte, a Canadian inspirational speaker, talks about how you can avoid those harmful perspectives and commit to forgiving yourself on your path to self-growth.

Notable Excerpt: “Devotion is not easy, but it is worth it. It’s your relationship with spirit. It’s not a cake walk. It’s like your relationship with any thing, any person. The rough parts require commitment, and seeing it through, and being flexible.”

The GuestDanielle LaPorte does it all – she is a painter, Washington DC think-tank executive, motivational speaker, bestselling author, poet, entrepreneur, and former business strategist. She is also an inaugural member of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, a group that Winfrey says “is uniquely connecting the world together with a spiritual energy that matters.” Forbes has also named Laporte’s blog one of the top 100 websites for women in 2012, calling her “a contrarian self-help guru.”

The Hosts: Eric Zimmer and Chris Forbes are two friends who first started co-hosting “The One You Feed” health podcast because they were “both prone to being sad sacks”. The name of the show comes from an old parable about how we decide what emotions we feel by choosing which metaphorical wolf to feed. Since Zimmer and Forbes created the show, they have recorded over 200 episodes about habits, meditation, wisdom, depression, anxiety, happiness, psychology, philosophy, and motivation.

Podcast: “The One You Feed” podcast is available to download for free on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.

Books: LaPorte is the author of several bestsellers, such as “The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul”, “White Hot Truth: Clarity for Keeping It Real on Your Spiritual Path from One Seeker to Another”, and “The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms”.

(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below) – Photo by Albert Subirats, CC

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Bus Driver Gives Heartfelt Goodbye Gift to 4-year-old Before Switching Routes

Bus driver John Reed and 4-year-old Sebastiana Balistreri may not seem to have much in common, but over the course of the last few months, they have become best buddies.

Every morning that Reed would pull up to Sebastiana’s bus stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she would greet him by smiling, waving, and jumping around on the sidewalk. In return, he would honk the bus horn and wave back.

Tracy’s mom wrote about her daughter’s special friendship on Facebook earlier this week, saying: “Every morning, Sebastiana and I take the city bus (Green Line) to school and work. We try to always take the same bus because we made friends with the driver John.”

“She is always super excited to see him, she always wishes him a good morning, and tells him the latest tidbit of news in her 4-year-old life. She wrote him a Valentine, and he gave her one too. They are best buddies.”

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So when Reed was told that he would be switching bus routes, he knew that he was going to miss his favorite little passenger.

As a means of saying goodbye to the tyke before he took charge of another route, he gave her a gift bag with a coloring book, a stuffed animal, and a card.

The card read: “I can honestly say that over the past months, you have been my favorite li’l bus passenger. Your happy smile and warm ‘good mornings’ have brightened my everyday. I want to thank you for being a GREAT EXAMPLE for others to follow.”

(WATCH the video below)

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