LONGMONT - For most 10-year-olds, $5 might as well be $50.
So when Aiden Lathrop lost his wallet in the parking lot of a Boulder supermarket last month, he was heartbroken knowing he'd likely never get it back.
"No, especially not a lot of money and gift cards you have in there," he said. "I didn't know where it was or anything. I figured it must be at home, I forgot it or something."
His mom and dad -- Kassia and Jason Lathrop -- had overheard an argument between two men in the parking lot.
"These two guys were arguing over a wallet. They were pretty angry at each other," Kassia said. "I said, "Jason, did you hear those guys?' He said, 'Yeah, they're arguing over a wallet. I said I know. I'm just glad they're gone.'"
But what the Lathrops didn't realize that the wallet the two men were arguing over a few feet from their car was Aiden's.
"I said, 'Are you sure you brought it," Lathrop asked her son. "'Yeah, I'm sure I put it in my coat pocket.' And so that's how it began."
A few days later, Aiden was in class at school when his name was called out over the intercom.
"They called me down to the office. I thought I was in trouble," he said. "It ended up being a really good thing."
In the office, a school employee had the wallet, as well as a letter.
"Oh, It was amazing. Her note," said Kassia, referring to a letter written by postal worker, Patricia Brown.
"Hi, Aiden, I work for the post office in Boulder. I found your wallet Saturday evening in the blue collection can at King Sooper's on 30th street," the letter read. "People often toss random wallets in these cans and there is never any money left in the wallet. I added a little cash just in case someone took yours."
Inside the wallet was a $20 bill and five $1 coins.
"That was very cool," Aiden said. "Not many people spend their money to give it to those who have lost it."
So the Lathrops tracked down Patrica at her post office in Boulder.
"I thanked her," Aiden said. "She was on the other side. I wished that I could've given her a hug.
"We thanked her for giving us that money and she said it was fine because it's the holidays. It's something good to do."
(KUSA-TV © 2014 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
