When their new teachers ask them to write about what they did over the summer, each of these kids will have a unique story to tell.
Nine-year-old Ethan Wargo of Sycamore, Illinois, does what many kids do during summer break – he reads. In a Dog Man graphic novel, though, he saw something that struck him as odd. A character in the book set up an insults booth, where other characters can come and be insulted…for free!
Ethan didn’t want to cut people down, but the idea inspired him to think bigger.
What if he set up a similar stand, but used it to give people free compliments instead?
So the fourth grader dragged a kids’ plastic table from his garage to the curb, opened an umbrella for shade, and hung out his sign. It was hot, but he sat behind the table ready to give compliments to whoever stopped by.
After a slow start, Ethan’s dad publicized the stand on social media. Traffic started picking up. People came from up to hour away to support his effort and receive a compliment!
Like all of us, sometimes Ethan had to think for a second to come up with the right words. But in the end, he found something good to say about every person who stopped by.
He complimented neighbor Rainbow Kaelin on her pretty name. He liked another boy’s T-shirt. He told one girl that he liked her bike and a car passenger that he liked their bracelets.
The best exchanges were reciprocal. Ethan told one man who rode up on a bike wearing a baseball cap that he thought he looked “really handsome.” The man then returned the favor by complimenting Ethan’s polo shirt and shaking his hand.
Ethan’s goal? To “give out something good that will make them have a big smile on their face.”
It’s “heartwarming,” he says, to be able to help raise the self-esteem of so many people – by simply offering a few kind words. (See Ethan in action)
Further south, kids in Texas and nearby states used the more traditional lemonade stand approach this summer…with a twist.
They sold lemonade, but they chose not to spend the proceeds on themselves. Instead, they donated the money to help those affected by the flash floods that devastated parts of Kerr County, Texas in early July. The floods killed at least 138 people, including 27 campers and staff at legendary summer Camp Mystic.
These kid-run lemonade stands raised an impressive amount of money.
Riley Boone (age 11) and Hayden Hayes (age 10) of Edna, Texas, blew past their original $5,000 goal to raise $6,000 with their lemonade stand. But that wasn’t the end of it. Someone from their small town matched the $6,000 they raised with another $6,000 – for a total of $12,000 they sent to help flood victims. They appreciated the support they got from their community.
A group of fellow Camp Mystic campers from Lubbock, Texas, raised over $22,000 with their lemonade stand. Pouring rain didn’t stop them and the community rallied around their effort.
Camper mom Andrea Tirey said it best: These kids “are learning early what many take a lifetime to understand — that when you show up for others, especially in times of sorrow, you can create hope.”
Even smaller amounts give hope to those in need.
Nine-year-old Hattie Byther of Bullard, Texas, attended summer camp in the affected Texas Hill Country just two weeks before the floodwaters rose. She and her family were shocked by the devastation and felt compelled to action.
“I want[ed] to help because a lot of people could be hurt and broken-hearted and I really think that it’s the right thing to do,” Hattie said.
Her lemonade stand raised $220, but more than that, it showed the flood victims they’re not alone. That people cared about them.
All from selling a bit of lemonade under the hot summer Texas sun!
As our kids go back to school, adults will guide students. Teachers will focus on approved curriculum. Parents will help with homework.
But the learning goes both ways. These kids have a lot to teach the rest of us about using what we have to show compassion for others. We just need to listen.
Happy Fall, Y’all!
(Photo credit The Washington Post)
