Every monday, my twins would race outside to greet the garbage truck, transforming a simple routine into pure joy. Every Monday. Regular as clockwork. The twins would hear the garbage truck coming and race outside. Not because they had to. Because they wanted to. Because greeting the garbage truck had become pure joy. Simple routine transformed into highlight of the week.
But one day, when I collapsed at home, rashad and theo—the sanitation crew—became real-life heroes, keeping the kids safe and calling 911. The day everything changed. Parent collapsed at home. Medical emergency. And the twins’ friends—Rashad and Theo from the sanitation crew—became heroes. Not metaphorical heroes. Real-life heroes. Keeping the kids safe. Calling 911. Responding to emergency.
That morning was a powerful reminder that sometimes heroes don’t wear capes—they drive garbage trucks. The reframe. The truth. Heroes aren’t always who we expect. Aren’t always dramatic or uniformed or recognized. Sometimes heroes are sanitation workers. People who drive garbage trucks. People we see every Monday but might not think of as heroes. Until they save your life.
Every monday, my twins would race outside to greet the garbage truck. The established routine. Every Monday. The twins racing outside. Excited. Happy. Looking forward to seeing Rashad and Theo. Looking forward to greeting the garbage truck.
Transforming a simple routine into pure joy. What makes this special. Garbage collection is routine. Mundane. Most people ignore it or find it inconvenient. But for these twins, it was pure joy. The transformation of ordinary into extraordinary through relationship. Through friendship with Rashad and Theo.
But one day, when I collapsed at home. The emergency. The parent collapsed. Medical crisis. Home alone with the twins. The kind of situation that’s terrifying because young children can’t help. Can’t call 911 effectively. Can’t handle medical emergency. Just know something’s wrong.
Rashad and theo—the sanitation crew—became real-life heroes. The people who saved the day. Not random bystanders. But Rashad and Theo. The sanitation workers. The men who drove the garbage truck. The friends the twins had been greeting every Monday. They became heroes.
Keeping the kids safe and calling 911. What they did. Kept the twins safe—making sure children weren’t in danger while parent was incapacitated. Called 911—getting professional medical help. Handled the emergency. Saved the day.
That morning was a powerful reminder that sometimes heroes don’t wear capes—they drive garbage trucks. The lesson. Heroes come in unexpected forms. Rashad and Theo drive garbage trucks. Collect trash. Do work that’s essential but often overlooked. And when emergency happened, they were the heroes. They saved lives. They kept children safe. They called for help.
The photograph shows them—Rashad and Theo with the twins. The sanitation workers holding the children. The relationships visible. The care evident. These aren’t just workers who collect trash at this house. These are friends. These are people the twins trust. These are heroes.
Every Monday the twins raced outside because they’d built relationships with Rashad and Theo. Because the sanitation workers took time to engage with children. To wave. To smile. To transform garbage collection from transaction into relationship. And when emergency struck, those relationships saved lives.
Rashad and Theo didn’t have to stop the truck. Didn’t have to investigate why the twins were outside alone looking scared. Didn’t have to keep the kids safe and call 911. They were on a route. On a schedule. Had a job to do. But they stopped. They helped. They became heroes.
Because that’s what heroes do. They show up. They notice when something’s wrong. They act. They don’t worry about whether saving people is “their job.” They just do it.
Sometimes heroes don’t wear capes—they drive garbage trucks. They collect trash. They show up every Monday. They wave at kids. They build relationships. And when crisis comes, they’re the ones who save lives. Not because they’re trained as first responders. But because they’re human beings who care. Who notice. Who act.
Rashad and Theo are heroes. The twins know it. The parent knows it. And now everyone reading this knows it too. Heroes drive garbage trucks. Heroes transform simple routines into pure joy. Heroes keep kids safe and call 911 when parents collapse. Heroes are the people who show up every Monday and build relationships that save lives.