A little common courtesy can prevent a whole lot of heartbreak. An Oregon mom posted an important note begging parents to practice a little decency after her son’s birthday party ended in tears.
October 23 was a big day for 9-year-old Mahlon. In fact, it’s been a big year for him.
In July, his family moved from Portland to Bend, Oregon, and after being homeschooled his entire life, he started to attend public school with the hopes of achieving his dream of throwing a birthday party with classmates and friends.
Last Sunday, the house was decked out, the party theme based on Mahlon’s favorite book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, was set and the birthday cake ready to cut, but no one showed up.
While Layne never heard back from any of the parents, she assumed some kids would still attend. The same thing had happened with her daughter’s party earlier this month. “Nobody seems to RSVP these days,” her husband said. “Don’t worry, they’ll come. Kids love birthday parties.” Except, the party came and went – and not one child bothered to show up.
Mahlon and his family were crushed.
“I was heartbroken,” Mahlon’s mother, Kristen Layne, the blogger behind Life on Peanut Layne tells PEOPLE. “I woke up the next morning after his party and my face was literally almost swollen shut from crying so hard.
“We would have been thrilled with one child. If one child had shown up, that would have made our day.”
On her blog, Life on Peanut Layne, devastated, Layne, 38, wrote about her son’s birthday party debacle:
“Words cannot describe the utter and complete devastation that washed over me, my husband and my nearly 70-year-old father who was almost brought to tears himself,” she wrote. “Seeing my heartbroken little boy sitting all alone at his brightly decorated, empty party table was more than I could take.”
While Layne commiserated with her little boy, she took the opportunity to add an important message to parents everywhere: “It could’ve all been avoided by a simple RSVP, via phone call, text, email, whatever, etc. I know I will definitely never ignore those four little letters ever again. Parents or caregivers, please, I beg you not to ignore it either.”
Her important reminder resonated with moms and dads across the country, including some that endured the same terrible experience. “Sadly I know exactly how you feel,” one commenter wrote. “I have a soon-to-be 8-year-old and he as of yet has not had a major birthday party where kids come.”
While Mahlon’s party was undoubtedly disappointing, his birthday eventually turned around. Word reached Jeff Kinney, the author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, who gave the fan a virtual tour of his office via FaceTime.
Strangers across the country have also reached out, sending cards and gifts to the Layne family. If you’d also like to mail Mahlon a birthday message, you can send one here:
Mahlon K.
c/o Kristen P. Layne
PO Box 8141
Bend, OR 97708
References: people.com, finance.yahoo.com
