A 6-year-old boy named Blake is highlighting the power of kindness and friendship ahead of the back-to-school season.
Last week, Blake’s mother, Nikki Rajahn, posted a photo of her son wearing a shirt that says “I will be your friend” on Facebook. She also shared the sweet backstory.
“I told him that as a back to school gift, I will make him any shirt he would like. It could have anything- a basketball theme, football, etc. which are all his favorites,” she wrote. After thinking about it, Blake asked her, “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?”
The mum ended her caption with the hashtag #stopbullying and concluded, “Never underestimate your kid’s heart for others! I love my sweet Blake!” The post has received more than 10,000 likes, and the comments section is filled with positive reactions and requests for the mom to make more of these shirts.
“We are overwhelmed with the response and did not expect this at all,” the mom of four told HuffPost.
Rajahn has a business called Unfading Adornments that accepts custom orders for personalised shirts, hats, tote bags, party decorations and more. According to Rajahn, Blake specifically wanted his shirt to be brightly coloured and easy for people to read.
Following the her son’s viral moment, Rajahn decided to create a website to sell more “I will be your friend” shirts, with a portion of each sale going to the Real Life Center, a local nonprofit that aims to help families and individuals cope with hardship.
“Once a few orders came in, I let Blake know, and he said ‘Good! Now more and more people will have more and more friends!’” she said. “He is a great kid with a big heart for others.”
Rajahn said her son naturally loves serving others, but says his Christian faith has inspired him to do more. During his summer break, he participated in a toothbrush and toothpaste drive for the Real Life Center.
“As soon as he found out about the drive, he told us we had to go to the store to hurry up and buy some toothbrushes and toothpaste,” Rajahn said. “We said we would take him to the store, but he needed to use his own money. He said that was fine, so we asked how much he wanted to spend. He said, ‘This is for people who don’t have any, right?’ and we said yes. He very matter-of-fact answered, ‘Well all of it!’”
Ultimately, Blake’s mum is grateful to see her son serve as a positive example to kids and adults.
Said Rajahn, “My hope for the post is for everyone to know that no matter their age, you can always have compassion and love for others.”