Tommy O’Connor, a high school senior from Fremont, California, wanted to buy a soda at the local 7 Eleven. He was on his way to the convenience store when he stumbled upon a wallet.
When he opened it, the young man saw that it had hundred dollar bills inside. Tommy was in need of cash at the time, but despite this fact, the teen decided to return the wallet to whom it belonged.
A day before he found the wallet, Tommy did not even have enough money for lunch.
Tommy’s family is not exactly well-off. They live on a fixed income and it can be quite a challenge to make ends meet.
One day before he saw the wallet, the young man did not even have enough money to buy his own lunch. He was practically broke, but that did not stop him from doing the right thing.
Tommy saw that the wallet had a lot of cash, but he did not care.
“It was like a bunch of hundreds,” he told KPIX 5. “I didn’t count it when I saw it. I saw it and thought it was probably someone’s rent or something.”
Truthfully, someone was looking for the lost wallet and waiting for it to be returned.
Tommy immediately gave the lost wallet to a teacher’s assistant. He needed the money, but he valued kindness and fairness more.
The person who owned the wallet happened to be a veteran. The wallet had a total of $2,300, an amount that is definitely not small.
If the wallet had gone to the wrong person, the veteran wouldn’t have gotten it back. Fortunately, Tommy was at the right place at the perfect time.
He saw the wallet, forwarded it to authorities, and did not touch any of it. He is, indeed, a kind young man.
Tommy’s parents are very proud of their son.
Upon learning that their son returned the lost wallet, Tommy’s parents felt proud of their son. Despite what the family was going through financially, the young man still had morals and believed that fairness and kindness should prevail.
“With us living month to month, it is a big chunk of money and I’m so proud of him that he did that,” his father Ron shared. “I’m just proud that he did the right thing. Hopefully, all of my children would’ve done the same thing.”
His mom was also proud of what he did. Sherry O’Connor explained that her son said,
“‘Mom, if it doesn’t get back to the right person, they won’t pay their rent.'”
What an inspiring young man
In today’s time, it is almost expected that people will choose to do the wrong thing over doing the right thing. Other teenagers could have been quick to spend the money, but it was different for Tommy.
His family may not be rich, but the young man is evidently overflowing with kindness. His decision to return the wallet has only proved that kindness still exists in the world.
Tommy’s mother sent him this text message, “I’m very proud of you son. Ms. Kalra called me. Wow, you’re one in a million. Love you to the moon and back.” To this, the young man replied, “You should be thanking yourself You raised me.”
“I’m just doing something I wish everyone else would do,” Tommy said to KPIX 5.
Tommy returned the wallet without waiting for anything in return. He was not looking for a reward or recognition, but in the end, that’s what he got and what he absolutely deserves.
The veteran was thankful for Tommy’s kindness and gave him $50 as a reward.
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