Her daughter got nervous on stage. What she did next was beautiful
Grab your tissues.
When Makayla Ferrell froze up while singing a song for her school talent show, her mom made sure her 10-year-old didn’t feel defeated.
Shaye Washington, of Colorado Springs, sat nervously as Makayla’s voice faded about a minute into her rendering of Andra Day’s “Rise Up.”
Makayla stood there, searching for the words. She appeared to look over the pianist before nervously shrugging as the music continued.
Cue mommy Washington.
“And I’ll rise up, I’ll rise like the day,” she sang, breaking through the silence as she walked up to join Makalya on stage. Washington’s beautiful interjection sparked her daughter back into action. The pair finished the song on stage together, hand in hand.
Fellow parent Rhonda Whitney captured the moment in a video she posted to Facebook on April 11. It amazingly drew more than 8.5 million views.
“My motherly instincts kicked in,” Washington wrote on Facebook. “I wanted to teach my daughter perseverance. I am so grateful for all of the love I am receiving from strangers, because sometimes I am hard on myself as a mom and think I’m not doing enough so all of the kind words are definitely a breath of fresh air.”
Makayla’s response in a CBS interview was quite the opposite.
“I think she does everything for me,” she said.
The song “Rise Up” is a meaningful one for the family. It represents perseverance and helped Washington push on in the past.
It’s hard for the inspirational clip not to leave you in tears, and it shows how heroes come in so many different forms.