American stand up comedian Alex Edelman was on the train to when he struck up an unlikely friendship with the group of schoolkids.
Travelling to the London airport to get a flight back to LA, the kids started quizzing him on his American accent.
And well, the Twitter thread is the most heartwarming thing we've read today.
A really wonderful thing just happened to me on a train in London.
— Alex Edelman (@AlexEdelman) 20 March 2018
I’m flying back to Los Angeles today from here and I was on the train to the airport and across from me was a classroom of children on a field trip with a nice teacher.
And the kids start talking to me and asking a bunch of kid questions like if I have siblings and do I miss them and I tell them I have a couple and I do.
— Alex Edelman (@AlexEdelman) 20 March 2018
What the kids asked next changed Alex's day.
One of the kids asks how old I am, and I tell him I turned 29 today - which is true, it’s my birthday -
— Alex Edelman (@AlexEdelman) 20 March 2018
And then he asks if I’m flying on my birthday. And I tell him I am.
And he says “oh, you probably have no one to sing Happy Birthday to you, then.”
So this class of about a dozen little British fellas sing me a very nice version of “Happy Birthday” on the train. Loudly. And I was trying so hard not to cry, because I *do* hate traveling on my birthday.
— Alex Edelman (@AlexEdelman) 20 March 2018
Awh bless them, what little cuties!
Alex was blown away by this simple act of kindness. So much so that he started tearing up.
One last funny thing: after they sang, one of the kids (named Leigh) repeated something he had learned - and just applied - and said “it doesn’t take much to make someone smile.”
— Alex Edelman (@AlexEdelman) 20 March 2018
And another kid (Mohammed) said “he isn’t smiling though, he’s almost crying.”
These kids are absolute heroes. And their teacher must be doing a great job. Because they made my day and they’re a credit to that school and their parents and their entire country.
— Alex Edelman (@AlexEdelman) 20 March 2018
I didn’t cry in front of the kids, obviously. I cried on the train platform after I got off.
— Alex Edelman (@AlexEdelman) 20 March 2018
You know, like any newly-minted 29 year old would.
We're in bits! And so is the rest of Twitter.
Brilliant. That's such a wonderful thing to happen to you. Gives us all hope for the future. I need more stories like this in my life.
— Craig Mace (@CraigMace) 20 March 2018
This is why I'll always sing happy birthday to a stranger on public transport if deemed necessary, public decency be damned. https://t.co/dR1P4ZKl4c
— Amy Burge (@dramyburge) 20 March 2018
First, happy belated birthday. Second, I'm glad you had that because everyone deserves to be sung to on their birthday
— Amy Smith (@fireheather) 21 March 2018
What great kids, we hope Alex had a great birthday!
