2-year-old gets Christmas gifts for 14 years from kind elderly neighbor who passed away
A family was surprised by their neighbor’s thoughtful gift for their 2-year-old daughter a few days after the man passed away. He left the little girl 14 gifts that he would be able to deliver if he had lived until 100 as he intended.
Owen Williams, from the British seaside town of Barry, Wales, and his wife, were having dinner a week before Christmas when someone knocked on their door. After opening, they met with the daughter of their late neighbor, Ken Watson, who had recently passed away.
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
The woman had a bag with her and explained to the Williams that her father had left some gifts for their daughter Cardi. There were 14 gifts, all carefully wrapped for Christmas, each one intended to be delivered to the girl for the next 14 years.
Owen and his wife found the old man’s act lovely, so he decided to share the story on Twitter, where it went viral with over 50k engagements.
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.
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) December 17, 2018
Issue is, we really have to open them now. Nobody wants to give a fifteen-year-old Duplo!
However, the parents encountered a little problem. The gifts were not labeled, and Ken didn't leave indications as to which one was to be delivered each year. So Owen decided to ask people on Twitter what should they do, open them all and see what was appropriate for Cardi’s age, or keep the element surprise.
People on Twitter chose to go for a lucky dip until 2032 when Cardi is turning 16-year-old.
What do you all think?
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) December 17, 2018
“So we will create this familial Christmas tradition all about this elderly gentleman who was very kind to her once upon a time, who she will never know, only through stories,” Williams told NBC News.
MORE ABOUT KEN
Williams described his late neighbor as a “daredevil.” He explained that his dog, Wookie loved the man because, on their first meeting, Ken asked if it was okay to give the little pup a chocolate cookie. When Williams tried to explain that chocolate is dangerous for dogs, Ken ignored him and gave the cookie anyway.
Our dog loved him. I mean, genuine visceral love. It was mainly due to the chocolate digestive biscuits he gave her on first meeting. She’d scream whenever she saw him. Really scream. Like a banshee. He’d call her “my darling” and “sweetheart”.
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) December 17, 2018
This is her first meeting. pic.twitter.com/DoG1F8mprO
“She’d scream whenever she saw him. Really scream. Like a banshee. He’d call her “my darling” and “sweetheart,” he said on the beautiful relationship of Ken with the dog.
Ken was a man of many talents: a marine salvage diver, master craftsman, baker, accordion player and a member of the Air Force. “Two years ago he wing-walked for his birthday on a biplane, just because he missed his wife and wanted to alleviate boredom. That's perhaps the sign of a man, you know,” Williams told CBC.
He played the accordion. We’d hear the strains of oompah drift through the kitchen wall late at night.
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) December 17, 2018
He said he’d live to 100.
He planned to do this again...https://t.co/Lpx1pdjU5L
But he was not surprised by the 83-year-old’ spirit of adventure. When Owen and his wife first moved to the neighborhood in 2015, the first impression they got of Ken was watching the man at the top of a 20-foot ladder dressed in navy coveralls trying to reach a scaffolding at the front of his house.
Ken was also a local Santa. On Cadi’s first Christmas, the man showed up with a giant lion plushie for the baby girl. It turns out the man had bought the same plushie at the local store to give to all of the kids in the neighborhood.
As the smallest member of Team Williams heads to bed, here’s our chance to wish you all a very Merry Christmas - Nadolig Llawen - in what must have been the most unexpectedly magical week of our lives!
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) December 24, 2018
We await Ken’s first gift of 14 with no little anticipation! #BeMoreKen pic.twitter.com/QVJlabyq7E
“Just goes to show the measure of the man, really. He was a forward-planner extraordinaire,” said Williams.
TWO GIFTS REVEALED
At the moment two gifts were already opened, the first one was uncovered after Own's wife impulse, and is a lovely book titled "Christmas Eve at the Mellops." The author of the book caught wind of the story and contacted Owen to sign the book for Cardi.
We opened one. We couldn’t resist. pic.twitter.com/vlNaRjoFoE
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) December 17, 2018
The other one was opened on Christmas day and it was a little-stuffed goat.
Cardi now will have something to look forward every Christmas until she turns 16, and is all thanks to a kind-hearted man that she probably won't even remember.
Christmas present number 1 is open, and it’s a little goat! 🐐
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) December 25, 2018
Not baaaad!#BeMoreKen pic.twitter.com/48fJA35HxY
