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A dad has shared the heartfelt note his son’s longtime friend received from the boy’s mother—and what it said has left thousands of people online emotional.
The July 18 post, shared by user domsp79, has received more than 17,000 upvotes after featuring a photo of a handwritten card given to a sixth grader as he prepared to say goodbye to a childhood friend.
“It must have been so hard to see your friend change. He’ll miss you,” the card read.
The dad explained that his son and the other boy became friends on their very first day of nursery in 2018. Their friendship continued through elementary school, even after the friend’s life changed dramatically following an epilepsy diagnosis.
According to Cure Epilepsy, around 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy at some point in their lives. The neurological condition causes recurring seizures and can affect people in different ways.
As the boys prepared to attend different high schools, the friend’s mother wanted to make sure they didn’t part ways without recognizing the role the dad’s son had played in her child’s life.
Alongside the card, the boy’s mother thanked him for remaining a loyal friend and for never turning his back on her son after his diagnosis.
The gesture clearly struck a chord with the dad.
“I can’t stop reading it. I’m so proud of him,” he wrote.
While many friendships change as children grow older, the card highlighted the impact that a supportive friend can have during difficult times.
Why Childhood Friendships Matter
Research conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign followed 567 children from kindergarten through elementary school. The children were grouped according to whether they had no friends, low-quality friendships, average-quality friendships, or high-quality friendships.
The researchers found that children in low-quality friendships were more likely to display behavioral problems, such as acting out. By contrast, children with high-quality friendships tended to have stronger social skills.
The study also found long-term differences. Children who had no friends in kindergarten were more likely to experience emotional difficulties and behavioral problems as they got older. Boys without friends showed more behavioral issues later on, while girls without friends showed fewer externalizing behavior problems.
Researchers additionally found that boys who had a close, high-quality friendship in kindergarten continued to demonstrate stronger social skills in first and third grades.
Overall, the findings suggested that supportive, positive friendships can play an important role in helping children develop social skills and emotional resilience.
For many readers, the card appeared to be an example of exactly that kind of friendship.
Reddit Reacts
The post has generated more than 130 comments, with many users praising both the boys’ friendship and the parents who supported it.
“As you should be. Making friends and being awesome are great traits and he’s double blessed,” one commenter wrote.
Others expressed hope that the boys would remain close despite attending different schools.
“I hope it works out. Even occasional visits can build lifelong memories, and your support already means the world to both of them,” another user said.
A third added: “You should be proud of yourself, you have clearly done a great job as a parent.”
A fourth user said: “This post made me burst into tears.
“As the mum of a lonely 9 year old who can’t attend school due to his special needs, the loss of friendship has been so incredibly hard.
“Thank you- it’s a really sweet reminder that just because we haven’t found people like you in our lives, they are out there.”
Newsweek reached out to u/domsp79 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
Reference
Engle, Jennifer M., et al. “Presence and Quality of Kindergarten Children’s Friendships: Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations with Child Adjustment in the Early School Years.” Infant and Child Development, vol. 20, no. 4, 2011, pp. 365–86. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.706.
Newsweek reached out to u/domsp79 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Gray R. Thomas
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