Grocery store encounter gives an old man a new purpose

Photo: Tara WoodNo matter how bad you might think things are, at least we’ve still got little kids and cranky old men.

The story of Norah Wood is sweeping across Planet Internet this week. She’s 4, and she took a liking to Dan Peterson in a grocery store. He’s 82.

“Hi old person,” she said, which is exactly how good conversations should start. “It’s my birthday today.”

Peterson has been depressed since his wife died and he acknowledged to CBS’ Steve Hartman that he’s pretty much just been waiting to die ever since.

“She zeroed in on him like a missile. And she didn’t want anything from him,” her mother, Tara, said. “She just wanted to make him feel loved and give him a hug. And his little lip quivered and he was teared up and it was just sweet.”

They’ve become fast friends and Nora now visits once a week.

“This is the first time, for quite a while, that I’ve been this happy,” Dan said.

(h/t: Carol Lostetter)