We are constantly constructing and expanding our community in collaboration with others. You don’t always recognize how much someone cares about you until they do something unexpected.

We are always going about our daily routines, but how often do we pause to consider how close we have become to the folks we see all the time?

When some garbage collectors in the United Kingdom took the time to wish a woman a very special birthday, they demonstrated how great a community can be.

He had once promised a woman on his route that if she lived to be 100, he would celebrate with her.

Dorothy Ballard, often known as Mercy Ballard, is an elderly Englishwoman. She lives on Ben Bird’s trash collection route, and they’ve grown accustomed to conversing while Ben is at work.

Ben once promised Dorothy that if she survived long enough to age 100, he would bring her a cake. A big birthday deserves something extra to make it feel special!

Ben opted to do this since he believes they know each other well enough due to their shared routine.

Ben has been on this path for quite some time. He’s gotten to know a lot of the houses in the neighborhood, and he’s become close to Dorothy. He characterizes their relationship with ITV as follows:

‘I talk to her every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8.10 a.m., and she is always waiting for me when I walk up her garden path… ‘

I never have a cup of tea or anything like that, and I wouldn’t put her through that. I just ran after the other two lads to catch up… I’ve been a binman for nearly 11 years and enjoy hearing her life stories…’

See Dorothy’s emotional reaction to her birthday treat in the video below!