A 4-year-old’s daily wave turned strangers into his best friends

Roman Butzlaff is just four years old, and his morning routine looks nothing like most toddlers’. Instead of asking for pancakes, the first thing on his mind is finding someone, anyone, to say hello to. Pass by his house in Concord, North Carolina, and there is a good chance you will get a wave and a cheerful ‘hey.’

‘He wakes up every day excited to say ‘hi’ to somebody, like, that’s the first thing he wants to do,’ his mother, Anna Butzlaff, told CBS News.

The habit began during a difficult stretch. About a year ago, Roman’s parents split up, his father moved to Florida, and his grandparents already lived out of state, leaving the toddler feeling isolated. Rather than withdraw, Roman started greeting every passer-by like an old friend.

One neighbour, Wade Fulgum, noticed the constant waving and eventually walked over to introduce himself. The two started spending time together, and soon other neighbours began stopping to chat too, then sticking around for things like impromptu drag races down the street.

Roman now invites his neighbours to his football, basketball and baseball games, and they show up to his swimming lessons and pre-school open house. When his birthday came around, his guest list was made up entirely of his senior-citizen neighbour friends. The Butzlaffs’ refrigerator is now covered in photos of the people Roman brought together.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Pink Sherbet Photography