With the current pandemic not showing any signs of really slowing down, what lockdown restrictions have been lifted, have been done so in a very light manner. Most of us are still dealing with some kind of social distancing regulations, meaning that large gatherings are not yet allowed. For many of us, that means that birthdays up until this point have been pretty sparsely celebrated and those celebrations have been restricted to those living within our households, as well as in virtual spaces. Needless to say, 2020 birthdays thus far have been incredibly strange experiences.
For adults the adjustment has been slightly easier since we’re a little bit more adaptable to crummy situations. But for kids celebrating during lockdown, it’s been downright depressing. But one little girl received a very sweet surprise from her FedEx driver. And it made the rest of us believe in the goodness of humanity again.
According to CNN, it all started when FedEx driver, Jodan Price, was going about his normal route and stopped at one home in Fisher, Indiana to deliver a package. He was delivering it to the Paternoster’s home.
Six-year-old Emma Paternoster was the one who answered the door, wearing a princess dress and looking quite excited. However, when the package turned out to be for her father, the little girl was quite visibly upset. Price was obviously confused by this reaction, but then Emma’s mom, Liz Paternoster, explained to him that it was her birthday. The little girl was hoping for some gifts to arrive.
Price then wished the child a happy birthday and went back to his truck. The Paternosters didn’t think anything of it and continued about their day. However, less than an hour later, they were in for a surprise. Price had returned, and he had brought Emma Dairy Queen cupcakes as a special surprise.
He explained to her mom, “I just wanted to do this because if we weren’t in this situation, she’d be celebrating with friends.”
Liz was quite touched by this extremely kind gesture, and had explained that the family had never met Price before, so it came as a complete shock. Emma was delighted with her surprise and very eagerly tucked into her birthday cupcakes.
Ok @FedEx our driver deserves a bonus! He realized it was our daughter's birthday & went to @DairyQueen to get her ice cream cupcakes. He said "I just wanted to do this because if we weren't in this situation, she'd be celebrating with friends." I'm not crying. You're crying! 😭 pic.twitter.com/BqoMbyC3G1
— Mrs. Paternoster (@Mrs_ConCon1787) April 30, 2020
Following the surprise event, Liz posted about the FedEx delivery driver’s kindness on Twitter. The tweet quickly went viral, even gaining celebrity attention, like Alyssa Milano who replied with “#SomeGoodNews.”
Other Twitter users, like @coachrickp1, who personally know Price, also commented, saying, “Mr. Price is a great man, him and his wife raised two amazing sons who I was very lucky to coach. Awesome highlight to my day!”
A few days after, Liz posted a follow-up video thanking Price once again. She also mentioned that she was planning a special thank you surprise.
UPDATE: Mr. Price stopped by and we got to thank him. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Our hearts are full and we feel so blessed to have the best @FedEx delivery man in the world! ❤️🤗❤️🙌 pic.twitter.com/JFw2s2Wfdt
— Mrs. Paternoster (@Mrs_ConCon1787) May 5, 2020
This is the perfect example that even in the most rotten of climates, there is always room for kindness. It’s what makes this world a better place – even if we’re all still indoors.