A noisy teenager caused trouble for the school janitor and later felt guilty. He learned about the janitor’s life and decided to do something special for him. That’s when he realized something important.
“Wow!” Holden exclaimed when he saw the mess he had created on the floor. He and his friend were just trying to play a prank on another student by painting his locker. However, he accidentally dropped the paint can in the middle of the basketball court, which would definitely be noticed.
“Come on, Holden! Let’s go! Let’s go!” his friend, Andrew, shouted, and they both left everything behind and ran away.
Source: Pexels
A noisy teenager caused trouble for the school janitor and later felt guilty. He learned about the janitor’s life and decided to do something special for him. That’s when he realized something important.
Holden and his friend were not bad kids, but they often skipped classes and liked to play pranks on others. They didn’t mean any harm; Holden just didn’t like school and wanted to have fun like many teenagers do.
“Wow. That’s terrible,” Holden said when he saw the mess he made. “Sorry. That was rude.” Luckily, no one found out about the incident, but later, he walked by the basketball court and saw the old janitor cleaning up. He also heard the principal, Mr. Figgins, yelling.
“We have the pep rally tomorrow, and scouts from all over are coming! This needs to be cleaned up right away!” the principal shouted at the poor man, who was trying to scrub the floor. The paint was oil-based, making the job hard.
Yes, Mr. Figgins. I’ll make sure it’s ready for tomorrow,” the janitor replied, still scrubbing. The principal waved his arms, yelled some more, and stormed off.
Holden felt awful watching the janitor clean the mess caused by his prank, so he did something surprising. He walked onto the court, grabbed a rag, knelt down, and started helping the janitor.
The old man looked at him and said, “I guess you did this, right?” He continued to scrub the floor.
“Sir, I’m really sorry. It was a mistake. I didn’t know you would get in trouble for it,” Holden said sincerely. “Please don’t tell the principal. My mom would be really mad.”
The janitor sighed and replied, “I won’t tell anyone, but you have to help me until this floor is clean.” Holden quickly agreed.
As they worked, they talked. The janitor’s name was Fred. At first, they chatted about basketball and football since the school had some of the best teams. But then Holden asked why Fred was still working at his age. He looked to be over 60.
“Well, I need to pay my mortgage,” Fred said with a frown. “I’m 76.”
“Wow, you still haven’t paid it off? That means I can’t even think about having my own house,” Holden said.
“Things are tough right now, kid. I never really wanted a house. I bought that house for my daughter because she needed a place to live,” Fred explained, wiping sweat from his forehead. “I helped her with the mortgage for years, but then she died in a car accident, and now it’s all my responsibility.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that,” Holden said quietly. They were silent for a moment. “Why not sell the house now?”
“Where would I go? With rent these days, I’d be homeless. I need to keep working to eat,” Fred said realistically.
“But you might never retire!” Holden added.
“That’s true. I just hope I can pay the mortgage before I die,” he continued.
“How much do you owe?” Holden asked.
“Well, it’s a little under $30,000,” Fred replied.
“Wow. That’s terrible,” Holden said, then widened his eyes. “Sorry, that was rude.”
But Fred laughed. “Let’s just keep working, kid.”
They finally cleaned up the paint, but it took a long time, and Holden went home late that night. He couldn’t sleep, thinking about how to help the old man who didn’t get him in trouble.
A few days later, he told his mother everything that happened and asked her how they could raise money for Fred. Maybe if they paid off his mortgage, he could retire.
His mother suggested that Holden mow lawns in the neighborhood. It was the right season, and many people needed help. So he got his dad’s lawnmower and started working hard.
But after a few days, he realized it was going to take a long time to earn the money. So he talked to his neighbors whose kids went to the same school. He took a picture of Fred from the school’s website and posted it online, sharing his story and creating a crowdfunding link to help the janitor.
To his surprise, the donations started coming in, and they raised $30,000 in just a week.
Then Holden and his mother spoke to the school principal about having a special ceremony to honor Fred and surprise him. Holden also had to tell the principal about the paint on the court, and Mr. Figgins agreed.
The whole school heard the story and gathered at the basketball court to cheer when Fred arrived. The old janitor had no idea what was happening since he didn’t use social media. Holden presented him with the money, and many people in the crowd cried as the two hugged. Fred officially retired that week.
Holden later learned that Fred had a granddaughter named Erin, who was only a few years younger than him. The janitor wanted to pay off the house for her to have when he was gone. Erin and Holden became good friends, and he started visiting Fred after school to help out.
He stopped hanging out with Andrew and began taking his classes more seriously. The whole experience taught him that you have to work hard for everything.
Holden changed completely and graduated at the top of his class a few years later. The school staff was shocked and happy with his turnaround, as they rarely saw such changes. And it was all because of Fred and that afternoon spent cleaning up paint.
What can we learn from this story?
You should apologize and do your best to fix your mistakes. Holden got the janitor in trouble but sincerely tried to make it right.
It only takes one experience or person to change someone’s life. After meeting Fred, Holden changed for good, learning that life is tough, and only hard work can lead to happiness.
You Won’t Believe How This Mom Responded to Public Breastfeeding Backlash!
The debate about breastfeeding in public has been going on for a long time. Now, a young mother is making her point, and it’s making some people upset. Let’s find out more about her.
When a baby is hungry, they don’t care where they are. Some moms feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public, but not this young mother. She believes it’s important to breastfeed her 17-month-old daughter wherever they are, even in public.
Trinati breastfeeds her toddler openly, but not everyone around her is okay with it. She often gets strange looks, and sometimes store employees even ask her to breastfeed in a closet.
Broom closets aren’t good places for feeding babies. Trinati didn’t like it, so she did something about it. She had her son take a picture of her breastfeeding her baby daughter at Costco. She said, “I always give my kids what they need, no matter where we are.”
Trinati doesn’t just get looks from strangers. Even her friends and family ask, “How long will you do that?” She always says, “As long as she needs me!” Sometimes they joke she’ll breastfeed until her daughter goes to kindergarten!
Trinati is tired of people making breastfeeding seem sexual or judging her for it. She said, “Really? Have you seen breastfeeding? My nipples don’t look like anything to fantasize about! Ha!
Trinati continued, saying, “These are basically udders right now. Get over yourself! I’m not trying to steal your man or lady with these bad girls! To me, they have become so far from feeling like a sexual part of my body. Right now they belong to my child for nourishment, both physically and emotionally.”
She wants to raise awareness about breastfeeding being something to nourish a child and in no way be something sexual.
“I don’t expect all men or those who have never breastfed to understand the ways in which mothers have the endurance to deal with nipple-pinching or straight-up acrobatics while breastfeeding,” she explained. “I have received the strangest glances and awkward giggles when people watch my 1.5-year-old standing on my lap while suckling … sometimes on one leg!”
To make breastfeeding in public normal, she took a picture of herself breastfeeding her toddler. She wanted to show how mothers always care for their kids, no matter where they are.
“I had my son take that photo of us in Costco because I never want to forget (and [I want to] show my daughter in the future) the lengths we, as mothers, will go to when ensuring our kids are well looked after no matter the situation,” she said.
“My baby’s needs come waaaaaay before anyone else’s attempts to make me feel inappropriate for this sometimes-public act of nourishing and/or comforting my children,” she wrote in the caption for the Instagram post.
She wants her children to know they are always her top priority, no matter what others think.
“Trust is important for good relationships and it starts with the care we get as kids,” she said. “Breastfeeding shows my children I care, so I won’t feel ashamed for doing it in any place.”
There are different opinions about breastfeeding in public. What do you think? Tell us in the comments!
Share this with others to start a discussion!
Leave a Reply