Many of us have rolled our eyes when our parents lectured us about how lucky we were. But one 6-year-old named Blake actually listened to his mother — and did something about it.
After he complained about all the toys he had to clean up, his mom Melissa told him many kids didn't have toys. He was "extremely hurt," Melissa told The Huffington Post. So, he channeled that hurt into something positive.
He planted himself down on a chair in his yard with toys on a table next to him and held up a huge sign written in green marker. "Cheer up, kids," it read. "We have free toys." He called it his "lemonade stand."
Since nobody knew about it, there weren't any takers at first. Then, Melissa publicized it on several garage sale sites.
The first item gone was his robot, which a contractor working in the neighborhood got for his grandson in Belize. He paid $5, which Blake decided he would donate to charity. Two more kids bought toys as a gesture of support.
But it wasn't until the third visit that Blake got the chance to help kids who couldn't afford what he'd been given. The family wanted the books he was displaying, so he gave them those and some of his favorite books in the house. "The family was so grateful," Melissa said.
The remainder of the items went to Blake's school. "He even tried taking off his favorite hat that he was wearing and wanted to donate that too," Melissa said. "He would’ve given away our house, his baby sister, and our car if he could have. That day was amazing."
What motivated him to offer up so much? "He hurts when people hurt, and rejoices when people rejoice," Melissa explained. "His selflessness is inspiring, even to his mama...It makes us so proud to know that he is catching what we are trying to teach, that kindness to even one person, can change the world."
If this is what the future looks like, maybe we'll be all right after all.
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