It all started with an apple. For three-year-old John Coleman, every Tuesday was a special day. It was the day the garbage truck drove by his home. The little boy, a big fan of trucks, would stand, watching in awe as the truck came by each house, picking up the trash.

So, about 10 months ago, his mom had an idea. “I was like, ‘Hey John, do you want to take him out a snack?’” said Kayla Coleman, who lives in Roanoke, Ill.

I wanted my kid to understand what it is to be kind.” John was thrilled.

So, the toddler made his way outside and handed Craig Hodges, the garbage truck driver, the apple. That one act of kindness is how a friendship was born. “It’s amazing how he opened up to me that fast,” said Hodges, 39, a driver for GFL Environmental. “I ate the apple, and it was one of the best apples I had.”

Three-year-old John Coleman pretends to drive the garbage truck. Photo courtesy of Kayla Coleman

In exchange for the fruit, Hodges honked the truck’s horn for John. His mother said he “got giddy” after that happened. A new routine was made. Each Tuesday, Hodges would pull up to John’s house and the little boy would be sitting on the curb waiting – with a snack. His mom said he picks the snacks for Hodges himself. They range from fruit to granola bars, depending on John’s mood that Tuesday.

“Then he gives me this ginormous hug,” Hodges said. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world because I know it’s genuine; it’s pure.” Soon, Hodges was letting John sit inside the garbage truck. “I’ve taught him so much about the truck, he can almost operate it by himself,” Hodges joked. “He just sits in it and pretends he’s driving it.”

For about 15 minutes, the pair hang out together before Hodges has to go to the next stop on his route. John sometimes cries, his mom said.  “He’s not ready to not be in the truck anymore,” Kayla said.

John Coleman with garbage truck driver Craig Hodges. Photo courtesy of Kayla Coleman

Tuesdays, she said, are the highlight of John’s week. For Hodges, it’s the same. “I could have the worst Tuesday in the history of Tuesdays, and as soon as I see him out there, he starts getting excited when he sees me, and I do the same thing,” Hodges said. “He honestly brightens my day.”

For Hodges, it’s also about paying it forward. “What I saw in John was myself when I was a kid. I used to watch the garbage man as well, and I thought maybe I would be a garbage man one day,” Hodges said.

When I saw John, I thought, why not be a positive role model to this kid as he’s growing up?”

So, when Hodges found out from Kayla that John would be starting preschool and would miss out on their Tuesday morning visits, Hodges knew he had to fix it. “I didn’t want to break the kid’s heart by telling him: ‘You’ll never see me again,’” Hodges said. “I was like, ‘What can I do?’ That’s when I came up with a route change.”

A quick meeting with his supervisor, and all was fixed. Hodges shifted his route so that he could stop by the Coleman’s home in the afternoon, that way Tuesdays with John could continue. Kayla was stunned. “I was so appreciative,” she said.

Hodges said shifting around his schedule for John was worth it. “I would do it again in a minute,” he said. John agreed. “I love the trash truck,” the little boy said. “Craig is my friend.”