Every now and then we come across stories that remind us of our collective capacity for kindness.
This is one such story, of a young boy and his family who came across a highly desirable piece of sports memorabilia, and ended up returning it to its rightful owner.
Unfortunately, many might have behaved differently in this situation, but this family reminds us that kindness and compassion still exist, and how important these qualities are.
How One Man Lost His Prized Possession
When the Houston Astros won the World Series in 2022, the organization gave all employees at Minute Maid Park custom championship rings. Typically, championship players are gifted flashy rings, but the Astros decided to recognize the underbelly of the organization that often goes overlooked, but are just as deserving of celebration.
One of these employees, Reynaldo Muñoz, had been working at the stadium for 23 years, and cherished his ring as a symbol of the team's success as well as his sustained commitment to the organization. However, when working on Father's Day this past year, he misplaced this prized possession.
Muñoz took off the custom ring while washing his hands in a restroom, when he got a call for assistance elsewhere in the stadium. It wasn't until about 20 minutes later that he realized he didn't have the ring on, and when he went back to look, it was gone.
The stadium can hold a staggering 41,000 people, and on Father's Day the place was packed. Not only that, but packed with Houston Astro's fans who might consider it their lucky day to happen upon a coveted championship ring. Aside from the item's rarity, it is also adorned with jewels, making it particularly valuable. Devastated, Muñoz considered the ring lost.
Unbeknownst to him, however, he would soon be reunited with his ring thanks to 8-year old Neymar Davalos who was attending his first ever Astro's game.
Neymar found the ring in the bathroom, and, adorably, gifted it to his father for Father's Day.
"He comes back from the restroom and he's like, 'Dad, here's your Father's Day gift,'" the boy's father told a local publication.
The pair didn't think much of it after that, assuming it was merely a replica.
The next morning, however, they realized what had happened.
A friend of Muñoz's daughter had shared a post to Facebook about the lost ring, hoping to see it return to its owner.
How One Little Boy Proved the Importance of Integrity
The post was shared rapidly and quickly went viral. In the post, Janie Arredondo writes "[Muñoz] has worked for 23 years at MMP and this ring meant so much to him. The ring is very unique as it is personalized to every employee. We hope whoever has it will return it. It is one of his joys from working there for many years."
When Neymar and his father saw the post, they knew they had to do the right thing. They quickly reached out, revealing they had the ring, and set up a time to meet up and return it.
The meeting was captured by a local news crew, seen below.
Muñoz is clearly relieved to see his ring again, and impressed by the generosity of these strangers who could have acted very differently.
"I really didn't think I was going to see [the ring] ever again, but I'm so glad they did the right thing," Muñoz said. "At the end of the day, it's the best thing you can ask for."
To express his gratitude, Muñoz gave the young boy a bag filled with T-shirts, bobbleheads, a voucher for game tickets. He also included some replica rings that the 8-year-old fan can keep for himself this time.
The Davalos family clearly has a strong moral compass, and are setting a positive example for their son as well as people everywhere who saw the story.
One user responded to the footage of the trio saying "Just when you think all hope is lost... This father and son restore my faith in humanity."
Though anonymous, this Twitter user speaks for us all.
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