LAKEWOOD, Wash. — A woman in Washington has located an 11-year-old boy who left an apology note on her doorstep and $5 after his sister took her wind chime because it reminded the children of their late mother.
Christina Reitz said she heard a knock on her door a little over a week ago, and when she went to answer it, all she found was a note.
“I am sorry that we stole your wind chime,” it read. “Our mom died and liked butterflies, so my sister took it to put it by our window. I am sorry; this is only money I have. Please do not be mad at us. Jake.”
The boy had also tucked a $5 bill inside.
Moved by the situation, Reitz launched a Facebook page in an effort to find the child. She named it “Jake’s Butterflies of Hope.”
“I lost my mom when I was five and my dad just almost six years ago. It’s just hard at any age. People grieve in different ways,” Reitz told reporters.
She said that while it is obviously wrong to steal, she wanted to give the boy his money back and gift him with another butterfly wind chime so that both he and his sister can have a momento to remind them of their mother.
“It’s not right that he stole, or his sister stole. I’m not sure which one did it, but he did try to make things right and I do forgive him. I’m not going to hold a grudge for a wind chime that was a dollar,” Reitz said.
On Thursday, she received a message from a woman identifying herself as Jake’s aunt, and has now been in contact with the family.
“They are grieving and everything is overwhelming for them right now,” Reitz advised.
She has now set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family after learning that the children are needing to move and “get their lives back in a normal state again.” She left her own note for Jake therein.
“You have stood up and done a brave thing by apologizing. There are grown men who won’t do that,” Reitz wrote. “You were not only doing the right thing something most beyond your age would not do. You were protecting your baby sister in this trying time. I can not wait till you are my neighbor.”
“Jake, we all are loving you and caring for you,” she said.
Almost $2,000 had been raised out of the $10,000 goal as of press time.
Reitz hopes to meet Jake soon, and says that his aunt is very grateful for the outpouring of love and support.
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