On the occasion of Norah Wood’s fourth birthday, she helped make the fulfillment of a dream for another person possible.

No one truly realized the effect that Dan Peterson’s first meeting with Norah would have on both of their lives when they first met each other. The unexpected encounter between Dan, who was 82 at the time, and Norah, who was just 4 at the time, was the beginning of an unbelievable friendship.

When Dan first met Norah in 2016, he had just gone through the death of his wife and was suffering from serious depression as a result. He had gone to the market in hopes of picking up some supplies, but destiny had other plans for him and was about to set him on a better course.

It so happened that Norah was celebrating her birthday on the day that they met.

She saw Dan while being taken by her mother around the shop, and she called out to him when she saw him.

When Dan saw the young girl, he immediately stopped what he was doing to greet her.

She told him that the only thing she wanted for her birthday was a hug. During a previous interview, Dan remembered the moment in question and expressed its meaning for him.

I said, “A hug?! “Absolutely!”

According to Tara, Norah’s mother, her daughter also asked that she be photographed with her new friend. The words that Dan had said had a profound impact on her, and she saw that he was becoming emotional.

“You don’t understand! This is the first time for quite a while that I’ve been this happy.”

When she uploaded the photo of Norah and Dan to Facebook, she received one comment that immediately stood out to her. After the passing of his wife, a person who knew Dan mentioned that they hadn’t seen him smile in a long time.

Tara reached out to Dan after seeing the comment, and the two of them made plans to meet together for lunch.

After then, the two became inseparable.

Even to the point of being invited to her Kindergarten graduation.
Norah and her family would go to see Dan, and Dan would make the journey to see Norah and her family. They managed to get together once a week, at the very least.

It was clear to anybody who heard their story that Dan had found a motivation to go on with his life.
Norah’s heart was overflowing with love for her “old guy,” and Dan’s days were once again filled with purpose.

“Norah got me out of the loop. Gave me something to live for,” Dan said. “It’s like the sun came out, you know?”

Tara said Norah enjoyed giving Dan hugs.

Dan was able to give Norah and her younger sister one more hug before he passed away.

Their unique friendship will endure despite the tragic nature of the story. Norah not only got a lifetime of memories, but she also serves as a reminder to us all that merely making new friends may give someone a purpose to live.

You may watch their friendship story below and get inspired by it.

And don’t forget to SHARE this inspiring story with your friends and family on Facebook.