This is Carolina: ‘I love him to death’: Trash collector befriends 4-year-old along route

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - While most people are still asleep, Sherard Wilson is up and servicing your home along his route.

He’s a trash collector for a large part of Carolina Forest. While he drives his truck alone, he knows there’s always someone to make him smile along his route. That someone is 4-year-old Braxton Harder. He’s been waving and smiling at Wilson at the end of his driveway for two years.

“He used to come out every morning about this time. He begged his mom to come outside so he could wave at me," Wilson said with a smile.

Braxton held on tight to his friend while he talked.

“He always has a big smile and starts waving to Braxton, and he always honks the horn. Even if it’s five in the morning - so our neighbors are probably upset - but he always honks the horn at Braxton and that makes his day,” Braxton’s mom, Tara Harder, said of the two friends.

Harder said it’s been a routine since it first began when Braxton was two years old.

“'Mommy, daddy, trash truck is here!' And naturally we would just stay in bed. But, he would just cry and we would go to the driveway and start waving. Even if it’s like, below zero out, we were still going. And I would grab a blanket and cover him up and we would watch the garbage truck go all along the neighborhood until we went back in. We would have to stay there,” Harder explained of her son’s routine to see Wilson.

However, the routine changed recently when instead of waving and hugging Braxton, Wilson gave him his own truck.

“I love him to death, man. I love him to death,” Wilson said of Braxton.

Braxton got a mini-sized trash truck like Wilson’s, and it goes perfectly with his car table in his playroom. Braxton makes the truck noises and likes to drive it through the tunnels.

“I tried not to cry. But, I did tear up. I told them to stay right there and let me go get my camera because I had to capture that picture. And when I was posting on Facebook that was my thought - ’I’m going to post this on Facebook because this is such a great moment.' Everyone that commented said ‘Thanks for sharing; this made my day.’ What I great story,” Harder said.

Braxton hugged Wilson goodbye. Wilson waved from the truck. They knew they’d see each other next Friday.

Copyright 2020 WMBF. All rights reserved.