Sometimes we meet people who change our lives for the better. No matter how long it’s been or how far away they are, we always keep a piece of them with us.

Those people are rare. A dime a dozen, really.

But one family from Barry, a small town in Wales, was fortunate to meet somebody just like that.

His name was Ken Watson.

Watson was known around the neighborhood for his kindness and generosity. So when Owen Williams, his wife, Caroline, and young daughter, Cadi, moved into the neighborhood, it was only a matter of time before he came by to introduce himself.

Williams said of his first meeting with Watson:

“We moved to the street three years ago and made a real point of going round and meeting all the neighbors. Ken wasn’t in when we first called round, but the next day we heard some banging.”

He continued:

“I went out to investigate and there was Ken in navy overalls bouncing across the face of his house at the top of a 20ft ladder. He was 83 at the time.”

Watson’s wife, Beryl, passed away in 2012. From that point forward, he decided that he would live life. He missed his wife dearly but knew he couldn’t sit around watching tv all day.

By the time he and Williams met, Watson was already living an adventurous life.

” …he was a former salvage diver in the Severn Estuary, a seaman, carpenter, baker and he did an airplane wing walk when he was 85,” Williams shared.

Watson didn’t have any grandchildren of his own so he spoiled the children in the neighborhood like they were his own. For example, he bought the children Christmas gifts every year.

When Watson passed away at the age of 87 in the autumn of 2018, the void was immediately felt.

His family was helping to organize his house, on December 16, when the Williams’ heard a knock at the door.

It was Watson’s daughter. In her hand, she carried a plastic bag with gifts inside. What she told them next melted their hearts.

The bag contained gifts Watson had bought for their daughter before he passed. The kicker was, he bought her fourteen gifts – one for the next fourteen years.

“He always told us he’d live till he was 100 years old, so these gifts would have taken him up to our little girl’s 16th Christmas.”

Wow. That is enough to leave anybody speechless.

Williams shared that they would make opening one gift every year a tradition with their daughter.

“My wife and I think it might make a nice Christmas tradition to give our daughter ‘a present from Ken for the next 14 years. Issue is, we really have to open them now. Nobody wants to give a fifteen-year-old Duplo!”

But they settled on the thoughtful tradition of opening one every year. After all, it’s the thought that matters.

Our elderly neighbour passed away recently. His daughter popped round a few moments ago clutching a large plastic sack. In the sack were all the Christmas presents he’d bought for *our* daughter for the next thirteen years. pic.twitter.com/6CjiZ99Cor

— Owen Williams (@OwsWills) December 17, 2018

“We’re definitely going to open one every year till 2032, by the way. It’ll be our way of remembering an immensely generous gentleman— our new Christmas tradition.”

Williams and his wife opened one gift to start their holiday season.

Inside was a children’s book, Christmas Eve at the Mellops by Tomi Ungerer.

Williams shared his story on Twitter prompting an outpour of emotions from various users.

“Wow what a thoughtful man who clearly thought so much of you all as a family, made me cry this morning.”

“Oh my goodness, how absolutely lovely. What a special and thoughtful man he was… wow.”

“You HAVE to give her one a year. It doesn’t matter in the slightest if they are too old or too young. Presents are all about the giving, not the receiving.”

What an amazing gesture from an extremely thoughtful man. Let us all be this selfless this holiday season.

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Sources: Wales Online, Spotlight