They were quite the pair — she, a beautiful young girl with a bright, white smile; he, a homeless veteran with a scraggly beard and weathered face. Their friendship started out slow. The girl — who remains unidentified — began saying "hi" to Tony as she traveled to and from her workplace. Soon enough they were having small conversations and then regular talks and periodic lunches. "Tony tells me about his war stories, loved ones, and who should win the Super Bowl," she wrote in a Dec. 5, 2012, post on Reddit. "I tell Tony about my problems, loved ones, and how I don't really care who should win the Super Bowl."
From an outsider's point of view, it seemed the young girl was offering the old, lonely man an ear. But the friendship was reciprocal. Recently, the girl went through a difficult period emotionally, and Tony reportedly helped her navigate those tough personal choices. One day she was walking around feeling sorry for herself when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Tony giving her a concerned look. He had something for her, he said. "From his army jacket, he pulls out a watch head. Tony takes my hand and gently places the broken antique in my palm." He went on to say: "I don't have much but I wanted you to know that you have done what many others would not simply by being my friend." The girl said she realized that when you extend yourself to those in need: "You get back not only what you gave, but infinitely more," she wrote.
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