The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to let it get us down. Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.
Today’s something good is friendship and ants.
Brody Ridder went home with a yearbook nearly devoid of signatures this past May, according to NPR. The 12-year-old had the signatures of only two friends and two teachers in spite of asking his classmates for more. In despair, he signed his own yearbook with a plaintive note to himself: “Hope you make some more friends.”
His mother, Cassandra, was heartbroken upon seeing the empty pages and her son’s painful message, saying it was a result of months of being bullied. She put a message on the school’s parent Facebook group and then on her personal Facebook timeline.
She wrote: “My poor son. Doesn’t seem like it’s getting any better. 2 teachers and a total of 2 students wrote in his yearbook. Despite Brody asking all kinds of kids to sign it. So Brody took it upon himself to write to himself. My heart is shattered Teach your kids kindness.”
Suddenly, support poured in for Brody. Kids and parents reached out, as did companies and celebrities.
One of those celebrities who reached out was Marvel’s Ant-Man, Paul Rudd. Rudd had a conversation with Brody, then sent him a note:
“It’s important to remember that even when life gets tough that things get better. There are so many people that love you and think you are the coolest kid there is – me being one of them!”
In addition, Rudd sent Brody an autographed Ant-Man helmet that said, “To my good friend Brody for when he takes on the world!”
In a text exchange, Brody told Rudd that he is Brody’s favorite super hero. Rudd responded, “You’re mine!” Perhaps equally status-changing for the 12-year-old than being called a superhero by Ant-Man, a group of older kids visited Brody in his class to sign his yearbook before the school year ended.
Cassandra said that Brody is “just over the moon” with all the support. “He is so excited. He feels hopeful for next year. He’s excited to try to put himself out there to make more friends.”
She is in discussions with groups that have anti-bullying initiatives to aid in spreading messages of kindness. “Parents need to teach their children kindness, open up that dialogue,” Cassandra said. “And if you see your child being mean to somebody else, talk to them about how that could possibly make them feel. Talk to them about intent versus impact.”
It takes so little for us to be kind to someone who needs it – kindness, as they say, is free. And when we go out of our way to shower kindness on that person, the impact can be huge. We don’t have to be Ant-Man to lift someone up who needs it and THAT is something good.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good!