Benjamin Lopez was having a perfectly normal day when 96-year-old Ted Fullerton walked into his bar. The man seemed lonely, so Lopez decided to strike up a conversation to make him feel more welcome and comfortable.
Nearly instantly, Lopez noticed a few medals on the lapel of the Fullerton's jacket, which immediately piqued his interest in the man.
It turned out that this valuable senior citizen had served during WWII and had made huge sacrifices for his country. His wife had passed away a few years ago, so things seemed lonelier and lonelier with each passing day. Nobody seemed to care about him anymore.
So when Lopez thanked the man for his service to the country, the veteran suddenly felt all of those emotions wash over him. "Thank you, young man. No one cares about what I have to say anymore," he said through tears.
That's when Lopez decided to show his new friend just how very wrong he was. He told the veteran that so many people care and will always care. He snapped a picture of Fullerton and told him to come back a week later for dinner. Though he didn't know what Facebook was, Lopez told him that he was going to share his picture with the world to see just how many people still cared.
The results were incredible. In less than one week, that single picture of Fullerton has gone viral. Hundreds of thousands of people have commented their thoughts, left their thanks, and have fallen in love with a man who thought he didn't matter.
He might have felt like a ghost before, but when one man asks just a little, his whole soul changed.
It's so important to let people know how much they matter. While it might seem awkward at first, it will always be appreciated. Sometimes just saying thank you will change someone's whole day, week, month, and even year!
Thank goodness for Ted Fullerton, and thank goodness for the young man who took the time to say thank you.
Please SHARE this incredible story if you're thankful for our veterans!