‘I will be your friend’: 6-year-old boy picks kind message for back-to-school shirt

A 6-year-old boy named Blake had the opportunity to create any shirt he wanted for the first day of school. He wanted one that would help other students make friends.

Blake’s mom, Nikki Rajahn, recently started her own small business, Unfading Adornments. She custom-makes apparel and home goods with personalized sayings.

The Georgia, stay-at-home mom of four told her son she would make him any shirt he wanted as a back-to-school gift. “It could have anything- a basketball theme, football, etc. which are all his favorites,” she said in a Facebook post.

After thinking about it, Blake asked, “Will you please make me a shirt that says ‘I will be your friend’ for all the kids who need a friend to know that I am here for them?”

“Never underestimate your kid’s heart for others! I love my sweet Blake!” Rajahn wrote. The post on the Unfading Adornments Facebook page went viral. Many people were impressed with Blake’s idea and wanted an “I will be your friend” shirt of their own.

Rajahn started selling the shirts for $15, and in the spirit of Blake, she decided to make sure each shirt helped someone else. She’s donating a portion of the proceeds to Real Life Center, a local church charity that offers a variety of services to people in need from senior programs and financial counseling to food pantries.

In a new Facebook post, Rajahn said when she told Blake she was selling his shirt, he said, “Oh good! Now more and more people are going to have more and more friends!”

“He is just so flattered so many want to be his twin too,” Rajahn wrote.