A mother’s touching note to the teenage boy who taught her daughter to skateboard has gone viral:
“Dear teenage boy at the skate park,
You’re probably about 15 years old. I didn’t expect you to be very mature, and I certainly didn’t expect you to welcome a little girl onto your ramp.
What you didn’t know is that my daughter has been begging to skateboard for months. I even had to convince her it wasn’t just for boys. So when we walked up and saw the park filled with teen boys smoking and swearing, she instantly wanted to leave. Honestly, I did too. But I also didn’t want her to feel like she didn’t belong.
So when she said, ‘Mom, it’s full of older boys,’ I told her, ‘So what? They don’t own the skate park.’
She gave it a try, nervously going down the ramp while you and your friends zipped past her. She only had a few runs before you approached us. I braced myself, ready to defend her right to be there. But instead, you said: ‘Your feet are wrong. Can I help you?’
And then you spent nearly an hour showing her how to balance, how to steer, even helping her up when she fell. You told her to avoid the rails so she wouldn’t get hurt. She listened to you—a teenager—more than she ever listens to adults.
Your friends teased you, but you didn’t care. You chose kindness.
I want you to know how proud I am that you are part of my community. You gave my daughter confidence, pride, and the belief that she can do anything. And for that, I thank you.”
Photos courtesy of Jeanean Thomas
