It's really amazing how many of us don't know our neighbors at all. Despite the short distance that separates the doors - and in some cases it is really only a few meters - many never even see their neighbours. But this is not the case for all neighbors, and this story will prove this to you. Ken Watson was probably the "perfect neighbor": an elderly man full of vitality, with an incredible history and who took a liking to his young neighbor, Owen Williams, and his family. A daughter was born to Owen in 2016 and to Ken, she was like a granddaughter. Sadly, in 2018 Ken passed away, but he had long before figured out a way to be there for his 'adopted granddaughter' for the years to come.
As Christmas approaches, we all begin to feel happiness, perhaps also mixed with a bit of melancholy. Ken certainly knew how to treat his neighbors and their infant daughter during the festivities (and during the rest of the year, as well). Sadly, 80-year-old Ken passed away in 2018, when little Cadi was just two years old. Little did the Williams family know that Ken had planned a very sweet surprise for their daughter.
One day, Ken's daughter knocked on the Williams' door and left a box full of wrapped presents: 14 Christmas presents meant for Cadi. Ken had bought them all and wrapped them up for the little girl, instructing her to open one for each of the Christmases to come.
Twitter / OwsWills
A gift for every Christmas, until Cadi turned 16. Owen described the moment he realized what the presents were: "Ken's daughter looked quite emotional and I had a lump in my throat. My wife was on a video call with her mother in Ireland. I put the box with the gifts on the kitchen counter and my wife started crying and I started crying, and even her mom started crying."
As of now, Cadi has opened her first 3 gifts: a stuffed goat, a wooden train with the initials of her name and an book to color and draw in.
Twitter / OwsWills
Owen wondered if they should have opened all the presents, to prevent a sixteen-year-old Cadi from ending up with LEGO, for example. But most of their Twitter followers - with whom they shared their story - said not to do this. Cadi will open one gift a year and it will become a beautiful Christmas tradition.
Twitter / OwsWills
Owen was quite surprised to find out that the majority of users who interacted with him admitted that they did not know their neighbors: "It strikes as sad just how few people know their neighbors. Many write to me: 'Oh what a beautiful story, I I don't even know my neighbors."
What can we say? This is a very moving story and we hope it will inspire some to an act of kindness towards theirs neighbors this year.
