Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Pretty much everywhere he goes, people recognize him from films like The Matrix or John Wick, so you can imagine he has plenty of fans stopping him on a daily basis.
That hasn’t stopped the actor from displaying amazing acts of kindness, though. From treating the homeless the way he’d want to be treated to stopping by weddings after an impromptu invite, Reeves always makes time for others.
Still, his generosity took one family in Houston by surprise recently when they had a memorable encounter with the actor.
Going Fishing
A woman named Annette Cruz has a particular hobby: fishing. Only this type of fishing doesn’t involve fishing for aquatic animals, but for Hollywood celebrities. When they come to town, she tries to meet them and has selfies with stars like Snoop Dogg and Rob Schneider as a result.
When Cruz and her grandsons, Caleb and Elijah, found out that Reeves would be in town to play at the House of Blues with his band, Dog Star, they decided to wait outside with some memorabilia and try to meet the man.
When he came out, the young boys didn’t quite recognize him.
“He like came out, and I didn’t expect his hair to be like a little white,” Caleb told KHOU11. “I knew his hair was long but I didn’t expect it to be white.”
Once the boys overcame their shock at seeing the actor in real life, they asked him for a signature and a selfie. But then Elijah had one other request.
A Simple Question
Elijah had been holding a football and he wanted to know if Reeves would play catch with him.
“I asked him the first time and he kind of mumbled something. But I didn’t hear him, so I asked him again, and he said ‘Yeah come on lets go,’” the nine-year-old recounted.
For the next 30 seconds or so, Elijah and Reeves had a good old-fashioned game of catch right there on the street as fans looked on.
“I was really nervous because I was playing catch with a famous superstar,” Elijah admitted.
Still, the kid revealed it was the best 30 seconds of his life: “The top moment.” That was especially true when Reeves complimented him on his spiral throw.
Meanwhile, it wasn’t lost on the crowd that the actor had once played a retired football player turned FBI agent for the 1991 movie Point Break.
“This is the football I threw with him. I’m keeping it forever and ever,” Elijah showed the reporters. In other words, he's a newly minted Keanu Reeves fan for life.
Remembering What Matters
Often in life, we’re in such a rush that we forget to stop and take in the moment. Hearing this story about Reeves, one of the most famous and probably busiest guys around, stopping to play catch with a kid is a good reminder that we should all stop a little more.
Playing catch only took 30 seconds out of Reeves’ day, but it meant the world to this kid. If he can stop and toss a football around, we can probably take a few minutes out of our day to play with our own kids, call our parents, or check in with a loved one.
Time is the most precious gift any of us can give or receive. Reeves understands this. His kindness superpower is inspiring all of us to stop and take some time out of our own busy schedules to remember the things and the people who truly matter.
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