‘He Will Be Our Brother’: A 6-Year-Old’s Wise Words
He sat with his little feet dangling, covered in dust and blood, alone and oh-so-small. This image of the wounded Syrian boy, Omran Daqneesh, collectively broke our hearts. And when 6-year-old Alex saw it, he knew he had to do something. He will be our brother, he thought.
So he came up with a plan, and he thought it out very thoroughly. And then he shared his plan in a letter and mailed it. But this special letter wasn’t to just anybody. Alex knew he had a big request, so he sent his letter to the President of the United States.
“We will give him a family and he will be our brother,” Alex wrote. “Catherine, my little sister, will be collecting butterflies and fireflies for him. In my school, I have a friend from Syria, Omar, and I will introduce him to Omar. We can all play together.”
From how he would help him with schoolwork, to sharing toys, to inviting him to birthday parties, Alex had it all worked out. He just needed to get Omar to his house. So naturally, he asked President Obama to bring him. But he wanted to make it easier for the president.
Can you please go get him and bring him to [my home]? Park in the driveway or on the street and we will be waiting for you guys with flags, flowers, and balloons.
Alex even thought of parking!
How much better would our world be if everyone was as empathetic and caring for others as Alex?
WATCH: ‘He Will Be Our Brother’ posted by President Obama
Here’s the full transcript of Alex’s letter:
Dear President Obama,
Remember the boy who was picked up by the ambulance in Syria? Can you please go get him and bring him to [my home]? Park in the driveway or on the street and we will be waiting for you guys with flags, flowers, and balloons. We will give him a family and he will be our brother. Catherine, my little sister, will be collecting butterflies and fireflies for him. In my school, I have a friend from Syria, Omar, and I will introduce him to Omar. We can all play together. We can invite him to birthday parties and he will teach us another language. We can teach him English too, just like my friend Aoto from Japan.
Please tell him that his brother will be Alex who is a very kind boy, just like him. Since he won’t bring toys and doesn’t have toys Catherine will share her big blue stripy white bunny. And I will share my bike and I will teach him how to ride it. I will teach him additions and subtractions in math. And he [can] smell Catherine’s lip gloss penguin which is green. She doesn’t let anyone touch it.
Thank you very much! I can’t wait for you to come!
Alex
6 years old
credit: NPR
