Garbage Collector's Gesture For An Elderly Lady Is Jaw-Dropping

May 31, 2021 by apost team

One of the sweetest things is when two people from very different walks of life become friends. Not only do such odd pairings make for interesting and unexpected friendships, but when this happens it really highlights that as humans we are all alike, often in more ways than we even realize. These friendships can come out of nowhere, perhaps with a stranger on a park bench, or sometimes they're closer to home.

Well, prepare your heart to melt and to get tears in your eyes as you watch centenarian Dorothy Ballard’s emotional surprise for her 100th birthday in 2019. Ben Bird, Ballard’s favorite garbage man showed up at her door with a birthday cake to mark a celebration of her milestone.

The unexpected friends reside in England's Midlands and over the course of eight years have struck up a dear friendship. When Ballard was approaching her 100th birthday, Bird promised to show up with a cake to mark the occasion and he did not disappoint.

Upon bringing Ballard the cake, which had three candles that said "100" on it, Bird told the birthday lady to make a wish, for example, that she'd live to 105. But Ballard showed off her quick wit and sense of humor when she snapped right back at Bird! 

Luckily, Ballard's granddaughter captured the touching moment on video and since then it's gone viral. The duo has even given a few interviews about their friendship and seeing them make jokes together is a delight to watch. Let's take a look at this sweet story of friendship despite a big age difference.

Ben Bird and Dorothy Ballard (nicknamed Mercy) have had an eight-year friendship, regularly chatting on Thursday mornings from 8 to 8:10 AM when Bird visits Ballard's home, he tells ITV. They talk about everything from family to technology. They even discovered that Bird had named his newborn daughter Daisy, which was Mercy's mother's name. 

As friends tend to do, Bird had promised that if Mercy made it to her 100th birthday, he would show up at her door with a birthday cake. He and his fellow garbage collectors kept their end of the bargain after Mercy kept hers.

In a video that has been shared all over the internet after Mercy's granddaughter Katy Smith posted it, Bird greets Mercy with a pink and white cake. After he and his colleagues sing "Happy Birthday" and before Ballard blew out her candles, Bird told her to make a wish and suggested that it be living to age 105. But rather than be delighted at the thought, Mercy's sharp sense of humor comes out, as she tells Bird to "Shut up!" He clearly knows that she's joking, as he flashes a cheeky grin to his colleague and they share a chuckle.

Later, while speaking with the BBC about that moment, an interviewer asked Bird "Is she always like this?" to which he replied "Yeah she always is," while Mercy admitted, "Yes I am," as they both shared a laugh. It's all clearly in good fun though, as the connection between the two is more akin to old friends than a garbage collector and a homeowner.

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Speaking with Birmingham Live, Bird explained why he enjoys his friendship with Mercy so much:

"I've been a binman for about 11 years and love listening to her stories about her life — having been born in 1919 she can hardly believe what technology can do now and she can't get her head round my phone."

"When I was taking the selfie of us with my two colleagues she was saying 'Where do I look?'"

That's one of the amazing things about having friends from all walks of life — they can show you things you don't already know and really open your mind up to a new perspective. But Bird isn't the only young person in Mercy's life — she's got a big family that includes 11 grandchildren, 32 great-grandkids and 11 great-great-grandchildren. Smith, her granddaughter who took the video, spoke to Birmingham Live about how much of a positive influence Bird is in Mercy's life:

"My great gran always speaks so highly of her binman Ben. I didn't realize it was someone I already know till I saw the picture of him today. So I messaged him to thank him that he made her day and (after seeing the video) my heart has melted."

Mercy's granddaughter went on to say how much she means to her and the rest of their family:

"We all feel very blessed to have her, she has a great sense of humour and is loved by so many. We treasure every moment."

Unfortunately, Dorothy Ballard passed away in 2020. We hope she rests in peace. 

Isn't that a sweet gesture? What do you think about Ben Bird and his friendship with Dorothy Ballard? Let us know your thoughts and pass this heartwarming story on to friends.