Journalist calls pep-talk hotline, breaks down as kids give him 'pick me up' he desperately needed
'Be grateful for yourself. Dude, live it up.'
Kids aren't given much credit for their rationality, sensibility, and, most importantly, empathy. Josh White (@joshjwhite), a journalist, realized it when he dialed up a pep-talk hotline run by California kindergarteners. He was so overwhelmed that before he knew it, he broke down in tears while listening to a group of children. Josh posted the video on Instagram on December 17.
Josh, a journalist and a conflict reporter, had spent his time in the Middle East, where "surviving" is almost a daily struggle. "I've sat with refugees who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. I’ve met little girls learning how to run again with missing limbs. I’ve heard more stories about fleeing bombs than I can count," he said. Amidst the chaos, he wanted some peace, and that's when he decided to call on the hotline at 707-873-7862 where several kindergarteners greeted him.
Presented with various options, Josh chose the one where a group of elementary school students had pre-recorded motivating words. "You can do it. Keep trying! Don't give up!" kindergarteners shouted from the other end. Josh couldn't stop smiling when he heard the innocent little ones laughing their hearts out. "Be grateful for yourself. Dude, live it up. Be you. I trust that you can make things right. Be happy," the pep talk continued. By now, Josh was in tears; he couldn't understand why, but he just couldn't control his tears. "There was something about hearing a child’s voice (especially their laughter) that broke something open in me, in the best way," Josh explained. He said after watching so much destruction, sometimes a kid's words of wisdom are all that it takes to heal. "I needed this moment to remind me why we are all here. And I have a feeling that the same thing is happening for a lot of you, too," Josh wrote.
Kids have an uncanny ability to heal people. It's not some random notion but something backed by research studies. Children are fearless; they run, fall, get up, and continue running, and that is something we must all learn. "If we approach our own feelings with a lack of overlying self-judgment and even the rigid restraint of a typical adult and give ourselves permission to feel what we feel before deciding how we intend to proceed in line with our values, then we can go a long way toward the kind of self-compassion that is necessary to function as a self-accepting, perfectly imperfect, wonderful and whole human being," Kristine Goto, PhD, a psychologist at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix, said. This explains why Josh also felt surreal when he heard the kids, because it perhaps reminded him of his inner child.
Josh's video went viral, leaving most netizens in tears. For instance, @erins_good_life commented, "As a school principal who just walked away from an 18-year-old career because of what is happening to education, this is absolutely beautiful. I don’t know who came up with this idea, but they are a hero. To embody and empower these young children with the power of kindness and true humanity is EVERYTHING. I miss working with children so much, and I am both saving this and sending it to my favorite educators. TY."
Similarly, @catitude_reloaded wrote, "I love the concept! Children bring so much light to the world! All children everywhere in the world." @imperiorobles commented, "THIS is why I volunteer with kids; they DESERVE better and much more (attention, time, happiness, HOPE)." @living_lushly wrote, "These little voices are the reason, or should be the reason, for everything we fight for! We brought them into this world, and we need to make sure that we give them a world worth fighting for."
You can follow Josh White (@joshjwhite) on Instagram for lifestyle content.
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