10-Year-Old Girl Paints Teen Sister's Shoes, Leaves Heartbreaking Note
Too often we discount the power of encouragement. When a person — especially a parent — doesn’t support us, feelings of rejection and despair often result.
This story shows the impact that a lack of parental encouragement can have in a child’s life. This young girl’s story is a reminder to all parents to remain supportive of their children’s endeavors.
It all began with a pair of sneakers. Emely Cifuentes, 17, had a pair of Vans sneakers she wanted her sister to decorate.
Her sister Marely, 10, wants to be an artist. Emely felt having Marely paint her sneakers would be a perfect activity for her.
Before going out, Emely left the sneakers for her sister to paint. Sadly though, things did not go as planned, and when Emely returned home she found something unexpected.
I asked my little sister if she could paint my shoes because she wants to be an artist before I left to go out and when I got home this was on my bed and now I’m literally crying because I love them so much and it sucks how much your parents affect u when they’re not supportive pic.twitter.com/IBZxjiBrfD
— emely (@em333ly) February 16, 2018
Marely had left the shoes on her bed. She had begun to paint them but had stopped before finishing. She had left a note next to the shoes that explained why she hadn’t finished.
“I’m sorry if you don’t like them I tried my best. Mom said she didn’t like them and that broke my heart. I don’t need you to break it more,” she wrote.
The end of the note illustrated the true impact of her mom’s comment. “Now that I see it I agree with her you shouldn’t have let me do that. I’m soo sorry,” she said.
Emely told Yahoo Lifestyle that she “immediately started bawling” after reading her sister’s note.
Marely had “put effort into them, and it made me so sad that she felt like she did a bad job,” she said.
Emely took to Twitter to capture the shoes and the note. “I’m literally crying because I love them so much and it sucks how much your parents affect u when they’re not supportive,” she posted.
Marely wanted to give all of you a quick thanks! I also want to say thank you for making my little sister feel so special. Bless the twitter fam?❤? pic.twitter.com/BPojiVqEOP
— emely (@em333ly) February 20, 2018
It wasn’t long before Marely’s story — and her artwork — went viral. The response was overwhelming.
“Marely and I are extremely overwhelmed by the reaction to her shoes. It’s amazing to know there is still so many kindhearted people in this world. She’s so happy with all of replies and is in the process of finishing the shoes,” she shared on Twitter.
Only three days after Emely’s initial post, Marely had finished the shoes. Emely posted a photo of Marely and the shoes, along with Marely’s note of thanks to all the “nice people” who supported her.
Although Marely may not have had the support of her mother, thousands of strangers online gave her the encouragement she needed to continue.
Just another reminder that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is in vain.
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