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Joy

Little girl has the sweetest friendship with grocery store employee

We can't stop smiling at this sweet interaction.

Little girl has the sweetest friendship with grocery store employee
Photo by Jomjakkapat Parrueng on Unsplash

Babies and preschoolers spend a lot of time in grocery stores, forming friendships with grownups.

Small interactions can leave a lasting impact. This sentiment rang particularly true in an interaction between a little girl and a Publix employee. The little girl’s mother, Rachel Smith, recorded a sweet interaction on TikTok that went viral, amassing more than 1 million likes. In the video, Fiona walks around the store with a large envelope that contains a thank-you card that she picked out herself to give to the grocery store worker. The two have been fast friends since Fiona was much younger and the Publix worker, Gilnet, would always greet her with a high five, which is how he got his nickname from the young preschooler.

The girl visits the grocery store weekly with her mom to do the shopping, and every week Gilnet gives her a high five. This little ritual has cemented their friendship and warmed hearts across social media when Fiona showed up to show her appreciation. Gilnet bought Fiona a pink Disney Princess bicycle for her birthday complete with tassels sticking out of the handlebars.

Fiona’s mom says that seeing their weekly interaction brings her “unquantifiable joy” and the pair are the “most unlikely BFFs.” In the short video, the duo embrace after Fiona gives the employee her thank-you card. The video stated, “She met him when she was little and sees him here every week.” Later in the video she writes, “Today she brought him a thank-you card because he bought her a bicycle for her birthday.”

@snowinginsaturn

The most unlikely BFF #publix #bff #kids

The greeting was so sweet it could warm anyone’s heart. Fiona’s mom said in a comment the little girl “calls him high five because ever since she was a baby, he gave her a high five when he saw her.” After the video went viral and received more than 7 million views, the girl's mom decided she wanted to do something further to show her appreciation for Gilnet, so she set up a GoFundMe page where she explains that she’d “love to give something tangible back for the unquantifiable joy he’s given my daughter her whole life.”

Rachel reached her goal of $5,000 with the first 375 people that donated, and the total continues to increase. It’s clear that people are looking for the small wins in life and are willing to donate to support a kind gesture. In the comments of the GoFundMe, others tell their stories about how they have their own Gilnet at their local grocery stores. Someone suggested the video Smith posted should become an ad for Publix due to its wholesome content.

People need to see the good in the world, and sometimes you don’t have to look further than your local grocery store. This short video has brought a smile to millions of people across the internet and continues to inspire other people to look for good throughout their days. I have no doubt Fiona will cherish the time she gets to spend with her Publix BFF for a long time to come.

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