Lots of kids fall in love with a local worker. For some, it is a firefighter. For others, it is a police officer. But, for Brooklyn of Bloomington, Illinois, it was Delvar Deshawn Dopson, a garbage collector. Every day, she would sit by the window waiting for him to pass by with his truck and take the trash.

Dopson used to make his rounds every Thursday. Each time he saw Brooklyn, she would wave and greet him. He always responded with a wave back and a smile on his face. The little girl was a bright spot in his day, and on her birthday, he was even more surprised when she decided to offer him a gift.

Brooklyn’s mom, Traci Andracke, knew how much Dopson meant to her daughter and would sometimes take her around the block if they missed his stop by their home. Speaking about Dopson, Andracke told The Huffington Post, “To Brooklyn, he is our favorite awesome smiley garbage man.”

So on Brooklyn’s third birthday, her only wish was to give the garbage collector one of her special cupcakes to thank him for all his hard work. The little girl decided that she wanted to surprise Dopson with a special fairy cupcake.

Brooklyn’s mother shared the touching moment on Facebook. She described how Dopson came down the street, waving as usual, when she called him over. He got out of his truck with a big smile, and Brooklyn suddenly fell shy as she handed over the cupcake she’d been holding for him.

This ultimately sparked a new tradition between the family and their garbage man, and they have been creating wonderful moments together ever since.