We all want to belong.
When we go to school, we try to make friends and fit in with our peers. It makes our learning experience fun when you have friends to share your school life with.
Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it may seem.
Some kids try their best to belong but end up being bullied instead. These bullies are everywhere, and most of us have experienced them.
The saddest part is when the people around you make you feel unwanted.
Cassandra Ridder picked up her son, Brody, a sixth-grader, at the school stop when she noticed something was off with him.
He was quiet and just wanted to listen to music.
In an interview with TODAY, Cassandra recalled trying to talk to her son and keeping the atmosphere in the car light. She asked her son about their much-awaited yearbook and if he got lots of signatures.
Brody was still quiet, but his mom saw that her son was teary-eyed.
“He said that he’d asked the kids in his class if they would sign his yearbook and some flat-out said no,” Cassandra explained. “A couple of his classmates jotted down their names — but there were no messages. There was nothing about how smart, funny and awesome he is.”
As a mother, the hurt would have been twice as much.
Imagine seeing your boy cheerful and excited about his yearbook, only to go home hurt and disappointed.
This boy was so strong because he dared to talk to his mom about what happened, and as a mother, Cassandra did what she had to do.
The mom who felt hurt for her son posted on the school’s group page:
“My poor son. Doesn’t seem like things are 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.”
When Brody handed Cassandra the yearbook, her heart shattered. She saw her son’s words to himself, “Hope you make some more friends.”
Ridder knew that her son always sits alone at lunchtime. He also spends his extra time playing by himself at recess.
Brody is such a sweet young boy who loves dinosaurs, and chess, and is really smart, too. Unfortunately, he was being avoided and the people in his class made him feel alone.
Word got out, and guess what?
People don’t like bullies, and the kids and the other people who saw what happened took action.
One day, it shocked Brody to see older ‘cooler’ kids lining up in his class asking for him. They all wanted to sign his yearbook, and this awesome kind act was posted by Cassandra.
Brody made new friends!
According to Brody’s mom, her son told her ‘This is the best day ever.’ Some of Brody’s new friends even put their phones for him to be able to contact them.”
Guess what? Even the kids who made Brody feel alone lined up to sign his yearbook.
Not just that. The boy’s story went viral, and now, more and more people are contacting Cassandra to get a chance to sign Brody’s yearbook.
Even actor Paul Rodd face-timed Brody!
The cast and crew of Dear Evan Hansen also requested space in Brody’s yearbook. They said they would sign his yearbook and invited him to see their Broadway play!
You can see Brody’s eyes light up. He was very cheerful and happy.
From being unwanted, unappreciated, and bullied to someone getting requests from different people, Brody’s story just gives you mixed emotions.
It hurts to be bullied, and his mom knew how painful this was for a little boy, but a single post proved that there are kind people out there, and they will uplift you.
You can also view Paul and Brody’s face-time here.
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