rumitoid

This story really choked me up. The precious innocent goodness of this young boy is deeply heartwarming.

The first week of school can be difficult for a lot of children, especially younger children or those new to a district, who are faced with the daunting prospect of having to make news friends. Developmentally, a child's ability to socialize and build friendships is just as important as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

One Fayetteville, Georgia elementary student, who has experienced bullying, realizes the importance of having a good friend to offer you moral support through growing pains. So, Blake Rajahn, six, wanted to make sure everyone at North Fayette Elementary knew that he would be their friend.

In honor of Blake's first day of school, his mother, Nikki, offered to make him a custom shirt.

"It could have anything — a basketball theme, football, etc. which are all his favorites," Nikki shared on her business's Facebook page. "He thought a while and said, '[Will] you please make me a shirt that says 'I will be your friend' for all the kids who need a friend to know that I am here for them.'"

Without hesitation, the mother-of-four got to work creating Blake's orange T-shirt with green text that read, "I will be your friend."

Nikki told WCNC that Blake says bullying can make school difficult, and he wanted the other students to know that he'll be there for them.

"I want to make sure that kids that are bullied know they have a friend already," Blake said.

Blake, a big brother to Brook, four, Blair, two, and Bryce, nine months, has always had "a heart for others and is very genuine," his mother told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Blake's first day of school will be on Monday, and while his friends don't know about his shirt yet, principal Lisa Moore has already requested to take a photo with him on the first day.

After being shared by over 700 people on Facebook, Nikki says that orders are coming in for Blake’s shirt.

"Ever since I posted about my son and his shirt, I have sold some and told Blake about it," Nikki wrote on Facebook. "He said, 'Oh good! Now more and more people are going to have more and more friends!'"

But Blake doesn't fully understand why his shirt is getting so much attention.

"He doesn't think anything of it actually. He is a little confused as to why it is such a big deal because he thinks everyone thinks the same as him," Nikki said. If only....
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/boy-6-wears-i-will-be-your-friend-tshirt-to-first-day-of-school-so-bullied-kids-dont-feel-alone-202622763.html

proud republican Loc: RED CALIFORNIA

Very nice heartwarming story indeed,Rumi...Thanks for posting it!!!

rumitoid

Thank you.

bahmer

I always hung out with the jocks and so it never was a problem as far as bullring was concerned but when I turned 16 my whole world was turned upside down because I had one of many epileptic seizures. At that time i was out for the swimming team and was also out for track and was looking forward to football and even baseball. Man after that first seizure I was told that I couldn't participate in any sports period. It was against the schools policy because of insurance to allow me to participate. I went from a jock to smoking cigarettes a very not so smart move on my part but at sixteen my life was over as far as I was concerned. Instead of getting my drivers license at 16 I was closer to 20 because I had to be seizure free for so many years before I could even apply to get my license. Try double dating with others guys and there dates at sixteen. Big cut into my love life which is good at least I didn't impregnate any young girl and have to get married. Oh well I lived through it and am now 76 so that kid is starting out young with the right approach and he should go far.

rumitoid

Wow, your story is very moving. I was a jock, good enough to get several scholarships to college because of track and field. I can barely imagine what it might be like if what happened to you happened to me. Even with my successes, I still had low self-esteem. To have nothing to give me a sense of worth...the idea is frightening. Who knows what I might have done.

I went to Parochial school for 12 years. I do not recall the bullying of anyone. Yet do not know whether my status as a jock made me blind to what other students were facing; my crowd was the smart and athletic. This child's awareness at such a young age deeply impressed me, and shamed me, in a way. I had no such awareness. My low self-esteem had me mostly blind to my peers possible woes. I only realized how removed I was from my fellows after reading that article. I am 72.

bahmer

It does shake one up to go from the elite to the bottom tier is a matter of what seemed like moments is earth shaking to say the least. I have many memories from those years that are not pleasant and I will leave them there.

rumitoid

God bless, bahmer, incredible you were able to overcome such a devastating time in your teens. It comes to me, upon honest reflections, that I would not have had the right stuff to survive. A troubling realization.

bahmer

You would have found a way to survive. Things can always get worse we just have to keep fighting one day at a time.

rumitoid

Very true. Thank you.