There’s nothing quite like kindness for the sake of kindness. That was exactly what took place this week when South Carolina high school student Sofi Cruz Turner brought her longtime friend Jahiem to ears with a few little gifts.
Sofi and Jahiem, both sophomores in high school, have been friends since third grade. According to Sofi, Jahiem is turning into an upstanding young man.
“He has always been that one student where he does all of his work when due, never misses school, always helping the teacher out with stuff in class, and always being a happy human being,” Sofi wrote in a Facebook post.
A while back, Sofi recalls Jahiem asking if someone could buy him a new pair of shoes that he couldn’t afford. So she took it upon herself to give Jahiem the shoes.
Sofi has been working part-time and saving her money so she could afford the shoes Jahiem mentioned. Her mother and grandfather also chipped in some money.
Finally, Sofi saved up enough to buy the shoes and a new shirt for Jahiem. One day in school, Sofi presented her friend with a backpack with the gifts inside.
“I’ve known you for a very long time — since third grade. And you are very special to me,” Sofi said to Jahiem, as she handed him the backpack. “You are a very good friend to me, and since I got a job, I’ve been thinking about getting something special for somebody, and this is for you.”
Posted by Sofi Cruz Turner on Wednesday, May 2, 2018
After opening the bag and seeing the shoes, as well as a new pair of socks, Jahiem broke down and began crying with joy, all while another student recorded Sofi’s gesture.
“When giving him his stuff and watching him open his bag, all my emotions were coming out,” Sofi wrote on the Facebook post. “Seeing him crying was very emotional because I could see that he didn’t know what to think.”
After wiping away the tears, Jahiem immediately put the shoes on with a huge grin on his face. Sofi’s post has been shared nearly 4,000 times. She says the experience taught her that “giving someone something so special can be life-changing.”