For three years, my neighbor’s son, little Marcus, knocked on my door at 6 a.m. every morning because his mother worked nights. I packed his lunch, made sure he was ready, and drove him to school. I never asked his mother for anything in return. I simply cared about the boy and wanted to help.

Then one day, I received an eviction notice and had nowhere to go. Desperate, I went to Marcus’s mother and asked for help. She looked me up and down and coldly said, “I always knew you were too nosy. Honestly? Good riddance!” Then she slammed the door in my face. I returned to my car and sat there crying for hours, feeling completely abandoned.

Suddenly, someone tapped on my car window. I looked up and froze. It was little Marcus, wearing his backpack, with tears in his red eyes. He pressed a folded piece of paper against the glass. When I opened it, I saw a crayon drawing of the two of us standing happily in front of my apartment beneath a huge yellow sun.

At the bottom, in his careful handwriting, he had written: “You are the best person I have ever met. I saved my birthday money. It’s $45. I want you to have it.” Taped to the back were two crumpled twenty-dollar bills and a five. I couldn’t accept his money, but I kept his drawing. That little picture reminded me that even when an adult fails you, a child’s gratitude can prove that your kindness was never wasted.