The New Jersey dad went on to explain that Christopher has never really had a friend.
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He found that his son’s answer to one question in particular broke his heart. Bob said he took the photo quickly and didn’t notice Christopher’s answers until he arrived home. “And because he’s had no friends, there was no one to invite”, said Cornelius.
But wonderfully, Bob’s post HAS changed the world and has gone viral, being shared over 18k times.
I went to his back to school night on Thursday and took a picture of one of his projects displayed on the wall, one of many cute little cards that all the kids in his class had filled out. The worksheet asked students to list the members of their family, as well as their favorite food, sport, TV show, sport, song, and more.
‘The reality is that I have to rely on the compassion of others to be incredibly understanding in order just to sit next to him, engage him, and make him feel included, ‘ he wrote.
Christopher was supposed to write who his friends are, and his response was “No one”.
“Never have five letters cut so deep, and they weren’t even directed at me.it was just an overly simplistic statement that spoke volumes.”
“But, if, by sharing this, I can make you think about having a conversation with your children about empathy, about going out of their way to include those that are different from everybody else, especially if it goes against the group mentality, especially if it’s not socially poplar (I’m not so old that I don’t remember that this takes bravery.bravery to break from the confines of whet your friends think is cool in the middle and high school worlds), then I will feel like Christopher’s voice has been heard”.
“But in my head, I asked ‘Where were those kids prior to this child being thrust into the spotlight?’ We know where they were: they’re in the picture: sitting at other tables, ignoring him”.
‘They notice when they are teased behind their back.
Cornelius asks parents to share heartwarming stories about special needs children and to teach their own kids to be more inclusive.
‘Trust me when I tell you this hurts them. Even if it’s not obvious to you and me.
He also asked people to share the post, and they clearly listened.
Rudolph was visiting a Tallahassee middle school when he spotted sixth grader Bo Paske eating alone in the cafeteria, and chose to sit next to him.
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This is one day I didn’t have to worry if my sweet boy ate lunch alone, because he sat across from someone who is a hero in many eyes. Travis Rudolph, a wide receiver at Florida State, and several other FSU players visited my sons school today.
