CUTE: Triplets reunite with garbage truck driver 4 years after viral video

ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) – A mom in Florida posted a now-viral video showing the special relationship between her triplets and their neighborhood garbage collector.

The kids were just 3 years old in the video. Four years later, they’re back together for a heartfelt reunion.

The friendship between Tony Parks and Olivia, Emma and Axel, now all 7 years old, had an unusual start.

Years ago, Carla Wierenicz’s family lived on Parks’ garbage route.

Wierenicz said her kids were very little when they began running from the breakfast table in the morning at the sound of Parks’ garbage truck.

“They were excited to see it lift and … dump it on the back, and I say, ‘You know what, come on, let’s go see how it works,’” she said.

Wierenicz said Parks warmed to the appreciation of the triplets.

“He loved those kids so much, and the kids love him; he was the kids’ hero,” she said.

It soon became a necessary interaction between the two parties.

“Every day, they would come out and if they missed me, their mother had to get in the car and circle the neighborhood until they found me,” Parks said.

The daily meet-and-greet was so heartwarming, Wierenicz would occasionally shoot video. Recently, for grins, she posted one of the old videos on Instagram.

People were smitten with the interaction, and the video went viral.

“We still have so many kind people all over the place, it’s so beautiful to see that,” Wierenicz said.

But then Parks’ route changed, and the kids couldn’t see him anymore. But that changed Thursday when the kids learned the City of Orlando had arranged for Parks to roll up again for old time’s sake.

The four hit the highlights of all the things they used to do four years ago, like honk the horn and race down the street.

They exchanged gifts. The triplets gave Parks drawings they spent the night making for him, while Parks gave them mini “City of Orlando” garbage trucks and T-shirts.

“I love it, I’m going to hang it on my wall,” Parks said of the drawings.

Although Parks works a job where he picks up stuff people don’t want, he picked up something from the triplets we all want.

“I picked up joy, I picked up happiness, I picked up memories,” he said.