I’m a single dad to my kid Dylan, and we don’t have many guests, so I wondered whether it was my son who “steals” my socks. But then again, why would he need only one of a pair?

Something wasn’t adding up, and no matter how insane it seems, I decided to put the old nanny cam in the laundry room to “capture” the culprit.
The next day, while reviewing the film, I nearly spilt my morning coffee all over the computer. It shows Dylan slipping into the washing room and carefully selecting a sock from the most recent pair I had.

He placed the sock inside his school bag, put on his coat, and stepped through the door.
Curious about what he was doing with my socks, I decided to follow behind him.
I soon found him heading down a street I’d never driven down. It led to a disadvantaged neighbourhood with dilapidated and abandoned properties.
Then he stood in front of one of the houses, knocking on the door as if he’d done it a million times before.

I kept out of sight, but when I heard Dylan tell the old guy in a wheelchair who answered the door that he had gotten some new beautiful socks for him, I made a noise, and both Dylan and the man turned to face me.
“Dad, I can explain,” Dylan responded, concerned that I would tell him off.

But that didn’t catch my interest. I only wanted to know what was going on.
The old man moved closer and said, “You must be Dennis. Your youngster is keeping my leg warm during these cold days.”
It was then that I saw the man only had one leg.

He used to serve in the Navy, and when his children left for different countries, he was left alone.
But Dylan, who met him by coincidence one day while walking to school, kept him company from time to time.

“Are you furious, Dad?” Dylan asked. I claimed I was not. In truth, I was proud of my son’s golden heart.
We started visiting the old guy on a regular basis after that, assisting him with errands and around the house. The misplaced socks sparked a great connection.