They danced with my autistic grandson: an ordinary act that made him feel great

My grandson, Daniel, is a non-verbal autistic 18-year-old. Daniel was visiting us for two weeks in August. Daniel is an incredible man. He smiles and radiates happiness every day of his life.

On Friday, Aug. 17, Danny and his father went down to Station Square to hang out and watch the fireworks after the Pirates game. While they were enjoying the music in the courtyard, Danny got up and started dancing.

A young woman came up to him and started dancing, too. Daniel told her his name was Danny and showed her the Autistic ID that he always wears when he is out in public. The girl called up a couple of other girls. He was suddenly dancing with four young women.

In an ordinary situation, you might say this was no big deal. But to us, it was a very big deal. Danny was in public having a ball and the people who were there with him were kind and considerate of his disability.

They all danced until after midnight before his father said he and Danny had to go home and get ready for his trip back to Texas the next day.

That night Danny was a normal 18-year-old young man. That is because the girls with him took that brief time to make him something special. We always make Danny special, but it was so touching for these strangers to make a special effort to bring a moment of happiness to him

Needless to say, he has said over and over that he had a great time dancing at Station Square that night

-- WANDA M. BUCKLEY, Jefferson Hills

My cell phone lost, and found

Sometimes I think I do not deserve to have a cell phone. It has been lost several times over the years and returned to me by strangers.

This latest time I was especially touched because we often read only bad news about the Lincoln-Lemington area of Pittsburgh. It turns out that some nice person found my cell phone in the parking lot of the health care center where I work on Churchland Street. It must have fallen out of my purse. We help patients on a daily basis at our center -- and now one of them has helped me.

This mystery person handed the phone into the front desk and then our administrative coordinator figured out that the phone was mine. I was not even aware that I had lost it!

So, I would like to thank this thoughtful person from Lincoln Lemington.

You are living proof that there are still nice people in all neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.

-- K. M. HAST, Wilkins