Mary uses a cane whereas Benjamin recently learned how to walk. And, Mary is 99 while Benjamin is just 2.
These neighbors formed an unlikely friendship during the pandemic and they’ve created a bond like no other at the fence between their homes in Minneapolis.
A Friendship like no Other: Toddler Befriends a Centenarian
Sarah Olson, Benjamin’s mom said that her son has recently turned 2 and the family has been neighbors with Mary long before he came into the world.
Before the pandemic, they didn’t see Mary that much; however, when lockdowns and closures ensued and families were advised to stay home, Mary was someone they could see outside.
The Olsons started spending more time outdoors in their yard and Mary was also sitting in hers. As Benjamin learned to walk and talk, he began playing with Mary more often.
Olson says how the boy would run over to Mary when he would spot her in her yard and would bring her a ball. And, they even came up with a game; they named it the Ping Ball.
Benjamin brings Mary the ball and Mary reaches her cane over the Olsons’ fence and flips it over and kicks it to Benjamin and so on.
The 97-year-gap isn’t something Benjamin is aware of. His mom says how he’s calling Mary Mimi and when they go outside to play, he’ll go ‘Mimi? Mimi?’ and they go and look for her.
When she sees Benjamin, she’ll call him out ‘Hey, Benjamin’ and their friendship is so cute to watch, says their family.
Mary who was isolated alone in the pandemic needed a friend. The family says how she looked forward to seeing Benjamin playing in the yard and how in a way he kept her going when she was trying to socially distance herself from others.
She Rediscovered Her Childlike Spirit
Playing with bubbles, water guns, balls, etc. Mary seems to have awakened her childlike spirit. She has one granddaughter who’s an adult and says how Benjamin is the closest to grandkids she has.
A year has gone by since the two started hanging out and they’re still enjoying each other’s company a lot.
For Olson, her son’s friendship with their neighbor resonates with so many people because we like to see relationships forming naturally for young people and the elderly. She explains that their friendship just happened naturally, they didn’t work on it at all.
If one thing is certain about friendship is that it happens in so many different ways. Quarantine or not, pandemic or not, Benjamin’s family is happy that he’s formed such a special bond with Mary and they know it means a lot to both of them.
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