9-year-old Noah was eating breakfast at Denny’s with his mother when he noticed a police officer alone at a nearby table.
Immediately, Noah felt anxious. He was sure he wanted to do something, but he wasn’t sure what.
After informing his mother that the police officer had been seen, he began formulating a strategy.
When Noah was a child, he had an ambition of becoming a police officer. He requested permission from his mother to visit Officer Eddie Benitez and say hello.
Of course, his mother concurred, but when Noah began to approach Eddie, he grew so anxious that he dared not speak. A few minutes later, he made the decision to devise a fresh strategy that would make the officer leap out of his chair.
Noah wanted to buy Eddie’s breakfast with some of the money he had saved from his birthday. The waitress was signaled by his mother Amanda, who also informed her of the strategy. Noah left a note on the receipt after they paid Eddie’s charge.
Then Noah picked up the receipt and went over to the policeman.
When Eddie saw Noah coming toward him, he was puzzled as to why he had his receipt, but he soon understood what was going on. After reading what he had written, the young boy leaped out of his seat and posed for a photo with his new fan.
Noah’s note on the receipt read:
”I want to be you when I grow up. Thank you for your service, Noah.”
Eddie is still carrying the note that Noah wrote him every day since he was so affected by the gesture.
Eddie told the story:
“It meant everything. It meant that I’m supposed to wake up every morning and put on his uniform and go out there and do what I do. You know? It means that I need to keep trying to be a good example to all these young guys.”
The tale touched their hearts so much that Eddie’s employer, the Lakeland Police Department, posted a picture of Noah and Eddie on their Facebook page.
Noah now wants to be a police officer more than ever because of the positive response his thoughtful gesture garnered.
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