Sometimes we all need a boost in life, and often that boost can come from an unexpected place. A stranger, an unforeseen event, or even a neighbor can make us feel good and important in a meaningful but unexpected way.
Well, that’s what happened to one person in Minnesota recently when she discovered the video her 13-year-old neighbor had left on her doorbell camera while she was away.
Kids Being Kids
One day a teen named Jacksen Proell and his friends were playing Ding Dong Ditch (also known as Nicky Nicky Nine Doors) in their neighborhood. The game’s premise is simple: you ring the doorbell and then run away before someone can answer it. That summer day, though, Proell didn’t feel like pranking anyone.
“I didn’t want to be a part of the ding dong ditching because there's no point,” the 13-year-old told USA Today. So, he decided to do something kind instead.
When Proell rang his neighbor’s bell, he looked into the camera. “You matter, alright?” he said. “There's always going to be somebody that cares about you. You're a good person, no matter what people say.”
According to the teen, he just felt as though whoever was on the other side of the door needed to hear a nice message. He had previously struggled with depression, and wanted to spread a bit of light.
“I know, somewhat, how bad it can be,” he continued to the publication. “But I also know that it could be a million times worse.”
A Message Received
Homeowner Ashley Mann wasn’t home the day Proell left the video because she was on vacation. However, she received a notification on her phone and watched the sweet message from afar. She was so touched that she shared it on TikTok, where it went viral with nearly a million likes.
“I was watching the video, and it really struck me, and it was just super powerful,” Mann also told USA Today. “I wanted more people to see it. I wanted to spread a positive message. I wanted those words to get out because this is a young kid saying it. It's not an adult saying it.”
That a kid was spreading this message wasn’t surprising to Proell’s mother, Carissa. When she saw the video for herself, she was touched.
“He's such a sweet, amazing kid,” she shared. “It's not that I didn't expect him to leave something like that. But it was still just like, this guy right here … This is all him. He's just amazing, and I was so proud.”
Turns out, the message was also a spark for a new friendship. Mann, who is new to the neighborhood, and Carissa plan to meet up soon.
Taking Kindness One Step Further
Mann didn’t expect the video to go viral, but once it did, she decided to try and pay it forward. So she started a GoFundMe to gather donations for a local crisis clinic that recently opened in hopes of helping others who need a boost.
“I was thinking it would be super cool if … somehow we could raise enough funds to donate it to the crisis clinic or donate it to a mental health organization because that way, we're giving back to the community a little bit more,” she said.
“It's just such a positive thing that I think is kind of addicting or like the trickle effect,” Carissa added. “It's helping people want to share it more and more, and I think that that's really uplifting.”
The Importance of Spreading Kindness
This story is such a feel-good tale because it reminds us that there is good in the youth out there and that even when a group of kids is getting together to cause light mischief in the neighborhood, someone can still stand up and do something good.
It inspires us to also spread messages of kindness, whether that’s leaving a nice message on a stranger’s social media, telling a neighbor how much we appreciate them, or doing something unexpected for someone else in our life.
At the end of the day, it’s kind acts like these that help boost people when they most need it, spreading positivity and light in a world that can sometimes get weighed down by darkness.
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