If you've ever felt like people don't know their neighbors anymore, one North Carolina preschooler has a pretty compelling counterargument.

Every morning, 4-year-old Roman Butzlaff stands by the front door of his family's home in Concord, North Carolina, ready to wave and say "hey" to anyone passing by. 

Whether it's a delivery driver, a garbage collector, or someone walking down the street, Roman rarely lets anyone go by without a greeting.

His cheerful routine hid a tougher reality

After Roman's parents separated a year ago, his father moved to Florida while his grandparents remained out of state. According to Roman's mother, Anna Butzlaff, the outgoing little boy had become quietly lonely.

That is, until the neighbors started waving back.

It began when Wade Fulgum, who lives across the street, introduced himself to the little boy who greeted him every day. Before long, the pair were spending time together. Other neighbors soon joined in, stopping to chat, cheering Roman on as he raced his bike down the street, and becoming regular faces in his life.

The friendships only grew from there, as Roman started inviting his neighbors, many of them retirees, to his soccer, basketball, and baseball games, swimming lessons, preschool open house, and eventually his birthday party. And they kept showing up.

The biggest surprise is how the new friendships extend beyond Roman himself. His neighbors say they barely knew one another before he came along. But today, a dozen former strangers now regularly wave, talk, and spend time together.

• Roman's refrigerator is now covered with photos of people who have become like extended family.
• His mom says the loneliness that once weighed on him has disappeared.

For a neighborhood that started out as a collection of strangers, all it took was one child who never stopped believing a simple ”hello” was always worth the time.