In early February, according to CBS News, eight-year-old Myles Eckert found a $20 bill in a restaurant’s parking lot as he and his family was heading inside.
At first, the little boy excitedly thought about getting a video game with the money… but when he saw a soldier inside he changed his mind.
Instead, little Myles took the $20 bill, wrapped it up inside of a post-it not, scribbled a little heartfelt message and handed it to Lt. Col. Frank Dailey.
The note read:
“Dear Soldier, my dad was a soldier. He’s in heaven now. I found this $20 in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It’s your lucky day! Thank you for your service. Myles Eckert, a gold star kid.”
The soldier was left speechless by the beautiful gesture from the little boy - especially when he found out mire about the little boy's father.
It turns out that Army Sgt. Andy Eckert, had been killed in Iraq just five weeks after Myles was born. All the child knows about his father has come from the memories of others - and he imagines his proud papa to be a "very nice and fun" person.
After the encounter at the restaurant, Myles paid a visit to his father’s grave so he could see him and tell him about what he'd done - and he couldn't resist flinging his arms around his daddy's gravestone and giving him a hug.
Frank says the gift he received from Myles is much bigger than just the $20; he continues to look at Eckert’s green post-it note every day, because it serves as a reminder for him to take life in a new direction.
It’s hard not to tear up at the thought of Myles doing something so thoughtful, all in honour of his soldier daddy that he never got to meet, isn't it?