It all started with a pandemic and an ice cream cone.

And now, in a world where social distancing once ruled, one family’s syrup shortage sparked a reminder that the sweetest connections often come from the people right next door. When Lisa Aamot’s youngest daughter, Sutton, toddled across their quiet street to borrow syrup from elderly neighbors Fred and Evy, she kickstarted a viral fandom of a friendship that knows no age boundaries.

The bond between the Aamots and their neighbors started early in the pandemic, when her middle child Kinley, then a toddler, spotted their neighbor Evy at the mailbox. “Evy was holding an ice cream cone and lowered it so Kinley could lick it,” Aamot recalled. “Because of the time we were in, I remember thinking, ‘You can’t do that, you could get sick!’, she said. “Now, I look back and laugh. It was such a tense time, and Evy was set on staying positive and being a light instead of living in fear.”

Lisa Aamot’s daughter Sutton with neighbor Evy. Photo by Lisa Aamot

From that sticky moment, a rare kind of kinship grew. Fred and Evy stocked their pantry with the kids’ favorite snacks, transforming their home into a haven of Legos, coloring books and impromptu baking sessions. Mason, Aamot’s son, bonded with Fred over airplanes, while Evy became a surrogate grandma to baby Sutton. “Evy came over and held her when she was just a tiny 5 lbs,” she said.

When spring came, if I needed to mow the lawn or get something done, I would send a message: ‘Want to hold a baby?’”

The family’s Ring camera soon became a comedy reel of Sutton’s determined “escapes” toward Fred and Evy’s house. “Once she could walk, we had endless Ring camera videos of her trying to escape over to them — she never made it far,” Aamot said. “Now, at 4, if you ask her, she will list them at the top when she talks about her best friends.”

Sutton carries her pancake syrup back home. Photo from TikTok

But it was a pancake breakfast that turned the quartet into internet darlings. When Aamot realized they were out of syrup, Sutton volunteered to fetch some from across the street. “Since she is 4, I would walk out and watch her but still let her cross alone,” Aamot said. What the mom expected to be a cute milestone video instead captured Fred, usually “cozy in his chair,” shuffling to the door with syrup in hand. “It was such a sweet moment that I teared up, so I knew I had to share it,” she said. The TikTok clip, viewed more than 4 million times, struck a chord with strangers craving connection.

For Aamot, the relationship has been a balm during grief. “I lost my dad a year ago and our kids were all very close to him. I think having a grandparent figure so close has helped ease their grief,” she said. “They respect them, and love them, and know they are safe with them.”

Her advice for fostering such bonds? “Start small,” Aamot said. “Get to know them. I think especially older neighbors just want company and to not feel forgotten. Also get outside! Go on walks or grab a drink and sit on your porch and say hi as people walk by. You never know when a hello at a mailbox could turn into something so much more.”

@motherhoodbeforenoon I hope they’re friends in every lifetime. #neighbors #pivot #raisethemkind #sappy #feels #neveralone #spreadlove #oldpeople #grandparentsoftiktok #childhood ♬ original sound – WBsongs

Source: People