A toddler’s fridge is covered in photos of the friends he built
Four-year-old Roman Butzlaff's habit of waving hello to every passer-by has filled his family's refrigerator with photos of the neighbors who became his closest friends.
The Butzlaffs’ refrigerator in Concord, North Carolina, tells its own story: photo after photo of neighbours who became close friends with a four-year-old boy simply because he never stopped waving hello.
Roman Butzlaff’s habit started about a year ago, during a difficult period for his family. His parents had split up, his father moved to Florida, and his grandparents already lived out of state, leaving the toddler isolated. Rather than let that loneliness take hold, Roman began greeting every passer-by like an old friend. ‘He wakes up every day excited to say ‘hi’ to somebody, like, that’s the first thing he wants to do,’ his mother, Anna Butzlaff, told CBS News.
Neighbour Wade Fulgum noticed the constant waving and eventually crossed the street to introduce himself. The two started spending time together, and the habit spread as other neighbours began stopping to chat, then sticking around for things like impromptu drag races down the street.
Roman now invites his neighbours to his football, basketball and baseball games, and people show up to his swimming lessons and pre-school open house. His birthday guest list was made up entirely of his senior-citizen neighbour friends.
‘Look at what this little kid has built,’ one neighbour said. Another added, ‘If the world was like this child, what an awesome, awesome place it would be.’
Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Pink Sherbet Photography
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