By Katelynn, 4th grade | December 2021 … One time when I was 6 years old, I was sad and lonely. Nobody wanted to play with me. I tried making new friends, asking my friends, and even just playing by myself. Nothing worked for me. I tried everything I could possibly think of, and nothing came to mind.

I basically was starting to lose hope at this point. I felt hurt. Just seeing all of the other kids on the playground with a buddy, and me not having one, just hurt even more. I felt invisible and just knowing that my friends were playing without me made me feel even more invisible. So, I sat down at the buddy bench. ( At my school, there is a buddy bench  you can sit down on if you feel alone. Kinda like me.) I sat there in disgrace, when suddenly a little boy came up to me and asked, “Hi! Do you wanna play basketball together?” I hesitated for a second and responded with, “Yes please!” and then we played for the rest of recess.

That little boy showed us that empathy could mean anything. Big or small. You don’t know what a kind act could mean to someone, even if it’s just holding the door.

Katelynn is in fourth grade at Gotwals Elementary School.