Faith in Humanity, Restored

 Ever get transfixed by the pattern of waves on the ocean? What about how a fire flickers and dances about at a campfire? Do you go to bed with a white noise machine or maybe the tv on? If you said yes or have yet another example all together you know how comforting movement, lights, waves, and even sounds can be if in the right situation. For Finn Daly, a young boy with both autism and down syndrome, its the waving of an American Flag. He has one at home that he likes to sit and watch just outside his front door. But really, any flag will do and it makes for some fun walks through the neighborhood, since many other homes fly the red, white, and blue as well.

Todd Disque noticing Finn in his front yard

These walks didn't go unnoticed, especially since Finn would often stop and take time out to appreciate each newly found flag and its location. One such stop was at the home of Todd Disque where his flag flies close to the sidewalk, pole connected to a shade tree. Steve Hartman of CBS News stated, "Finn would make camp on that sidewalk if you would let him." as he covered the story and observed one such visit. The homeowner noticed the boys admiration as well and when Hartman asked what Todd thought he said, "God bless America...if this kid wants to look at my flag, then I am all for it."

He meant it too and followed up with a special surprise, taking to his garage-based workshop to build Finn a special token for his next visit. So the next time Finn and his family took a walk and came to that house with the tree holding up his favorite flag they noticed something. At the base of the tree was a kid-sized, hand-built chair with the words "Finn's Bench" scrawled on the top. "Its such a small gesture but things like this just really restore your faith in humanity, like...there's still good people out there that want to do kind things," says Finns mom in response to the beautiful gift. 

Perhaps that can serve as a reminder to us all. It doesn't have to be something monumental to make a difference. A small gesture of kindness sometimes does the job and goes a long way.

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