Lowe’s associate bonds with young customer after helping pay for his purchase
When Nicholas Miller walks into the Eastlake Lowe’s in Chula Vista, California, the employees call him ‘the Lowe’s Kid’. That’s because Nicholas visits Lowe’s nearly every week looking for materials for his projects and the help of one special friend: Ceasar Cabral, a plumbing associate.
His friends and family call him Nic but Ceasar calls him his little genius. When Nic was a baby, his father passed away and throughout his childhood, Nic faced many challenges. But nothing could stop this young go-getter from dreaming every night about what he could do and what he could learn from a willing mentor like Ceasar.
Ceasar Cabral was born in Guam and spent most of his adult life in Hawaii, teaching surfing and learning different trade skills. He’s even a published author, writing a book in 2000 titled Instructional Guide to Surfing: Quick Tips. Then he moved to California and went to work for Lowe’s teaching what trade skills he learned to whomever came to his store.
The kid with a dream walked in one day with a special project: he wanted to install a sink in his backyard. With a vision and a little knowledge, Nic found Ceasar and asked him for help. Ceasar saw in Nic a desire to learn and build and Nic saw a mentor and friend. That day, the parts Nic needed for his project totaled more money than he had, so Ceasar pitched in to make sure he didn’t go home empty handed. When Nic’s mom came to pay Ceasar back, he refused to accept the money saying “the gratification of helping a kid” was enough.
To this day, Ceasar and Nic remain close friends. They work on many projects together, celebrate birthdays and look forward to Nic’s bright future and goal of one day becoming a contractor.
When asked to describe his friendship with Nic, Ceasar only has one word: Ohana. In Hawaiian culture ‘Ohana’ means family and to both Ceasar and Nic it is the perfect description for the precious bond they share.