An amazing trucker couple

This happened just last week to a friend of mine. She posted this at another board we belong to together, and I wanted to share with you all just in case someone out there 'recognizes' the situation, and also wanted to share one of those 'feel good' stories with you. My friend's son has a dual diagnosis of both Down syndrome & Autism. I just want to say that this really shows that there are terrific people out there in this world. I have changed the name of the little boy involved, but this is otherwise my friend's post...



We had a very special encounter with a pair of angels on Thanksgiving Day at the Flying J truck stop in Truxton, Missouri last week.

At first, I was a bit mortified that we were going to be eating our Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant inside a place where you could walk a few yards and buy a can of Spam, or motor oil for your car, or even a handy dandy keychain sporting a glittery playboy bunny symbol. But, it was a place my aunt and step-uncle liked to take my grandmother on occasion, since it was the only buffet restaurant in their rural area. The rest of the family was heading down to **** to have the "official" Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings at my sister's new farmhouse. I thought to myself that this will be one Thanksgiving to remember with amusement, anyhow.

My mother wanted to sit next to Joseph and help him eat, and he was behaving pretty nicely. She was cuddling him, talking to him and feeding him and I brought her food to give him. I sat at the other end of the long table with dh and the other two kids. In between were siblings, grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc. I kept watching for Joseph to grab a fork and fling it, spit out mouthfuls of food, shriek noisily, swipe food from other people's plates, attempt escape from his highchair (which he really was too big for), etc. I was having a rough couple of days with him and his behavior; visiting friends has not been easy, and I have had to physically restrain him so he would not tear the places apart, jumping off furniture, flinging magazines and pillows. But at the restaurant, he was happy to eat and interact with my mom and play our little "high five" game.

Near the end of our meal, the waitress comes over to Joseph and my mom with a HUGE box, and tells us that there was a couple sitting across the restaurant who was watching Joseph the whole time they were eating. They wanted the waitress to wait until they left to give Joseph their gift, which was a really big remote controlled big rig truck. We were all stunned by the generosity of these people...I couldn't believe that someone had been so kind to Joseph. I went up to look at the truck and hug Joseph and I told him, "Someone loves you, and they don't even know you." Then we saw a man standing outside the window waving at us. We all waved back to him, and he went on to the truck lot.

So I sat there and we all finished our meal, and I was sniffling in my corner...this gift couldn't have come at a better time. I was having so many frustrations with Joseph, just wondering how long these issues with him were going to go on, and here comes an anonymous giver of unconditional love for my son. I was really, truly touched beyond words.

When we left a good half hour later, we were walking to the car, when the man came up to us. He wanted to meet Joseph. We told him how much we appreciated his gift and he just looked at Joseph, squirming around in dh's arms. We could tell that he was emotional. He told us that he had "one of his own...a 22 year-old." Then he teared up and walked away. We wondered if "had" was past tense and perhaps his son wasn't alive anymore, or maybe he just missed him on the holiday. So we decided to drive by the big rig I saw him get into, and open Joseph's window and have him wave bye bye. I saw through their windshield the shadows of him and his wife waving back with their two little dogs in their laps.

My only regret is that I didn't think quickly enough to get the numbers/address on his truck so I could thank him properly and tell him about Joseph. Maybe they preferred to remain more anonymous. All I know is that when I thought back to all those people I saw eating at the Flying J on Thanksgiving Day, I saw men eating by themselves, a couple here and there, and I was wondering where their families were. I cared about those people then.

THANK YOU, who ever you are...for more than just a $50 truck stop toy, but for being a giver of hope for the kindness of humanity, and for giving me a renewed perspective on what is important in life. Your sweetness will be forever appreciated.