Mom was used to getting questions about her disabled daughter—other kids' gesture at park left her speechless
Children might surprise people with their sense of empathy at times. A mom experienced a child's empathy firsthand after he asked her about her disabled daughter at the park. The woman was used to getting questions about her daughter, but still dreaded it each time. She was a little worried when an 8-year-old boy asked her a question, but not completely surprised. However, his next actions left the woman, Natalie Cook, in complete shock. Cook, who goes by @justenoughmanna on Instagram, decided to share the interaction with the platform through a video. It received over 5.9 million views.
The mom shared a clip of the 8-year-old boy playing with her 2-year-old daughter at the park and thanked his mom through an open letter titled, "Dear mama of the 8-year-old boy at the park." Natalie shared that she was at the park with her daughter when a little boy noticed her walker. "He asked me, 'What’s wrong with her?'" The mom froze for a moment and wondered how she would explain disability to such a young kid. Nonetheless, she told him, "She was born tiny, so it’s taking her body a little longer to catch up." The boy nodded in understanding and then ran off to play tag with his friends. "But he didn’t stay gone for long. Soon, he was back. Helping her down the slide, gently pushing her on the swing while his friends kept running."
View this post on Instagram
The mom was even more impressed by the fact that the 8-year-old picked up on the sign language she was using with her daughter. "He even picked up the sign language I was using to ask her if she wanted 'more' or if she was 'all done.'" The boy even taught the signs to his friends, so all of them could interact with her. The kid also got the girl's walker to her. It allowed her to go from one equipment to another easily. "Then I overheard him tell them: 'She’s only 2…and look what she can do! She was born tiny before she was ready, so she’s still working on things like walking.'"
The mom was surprised to see the whole playground cheering for her daughter soon after. They helped her climb and took turns to go down the slide with her. "My heart could have burst. Because your boy? He saw past her walker and disability. He saw her. And then he helped everyone else see her, too." Natalie thanked the boy's mom through the letter. "This was the sweetest encounter I’ve had with my kiddos and it melted my heart and made my entire week!" People applauded the little boy for his kindness in the comments section of the video.
@franxs5 wrote, "Mama, your response to his initial question was also perfect. Simple enough for even an eight-year-old with a big heart to understand." @michelledp200 commented, "Omg, that made me cry just reading this. So I would have been an emotional wreck if I were there! Bless him, what a lovely child and your child, too." @verneoct28 remarked, "Some parents just do it right, how proud they must be. I hope your daughter continues to meet people like this for her whole life." @clearlyjacob18 shared, "When explaining my son’s walker to other kids, I like to use glasses as an easy and common analogy. 'You know, some people need glasses to help their eyes see? He needs his walker to help his legs walk!'" In another video, the mom shared everything she celebrates about her daughter.
View this post on Instagram
You can follow Natalie Cook (@justenoughmanna) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.