Bismarck 5-year-old spreads kindness with handmade Christmas cards

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - While most 5-year-olds are making Christmas lists, one Bismarck boy is making Christmas cards.

Ryston Grenz hopes his cards might bring a little holiday cheer to people he doesn’t even know.

Ryston’s giving heart is making this season a little extra special for him, and for strangers he’s befriending.

Ryston is on a mission. The 5-year-old is determined to create the best Christmas cards ever. Each card he makes is hand-painted. The hearts, drawn on by hand, too. Ryston even glues the candy canes on by himself.

“It just makes me feel good to do it,” he said.

The words on the cards hold a special meaning, chosen by Ryston himself.

“He’s like, ‘Mom, I want it to say Jesus loves you. I want to make sure that people know that,’” said his mom, Jessie Grenz.

Once this batch of cards dries, Ryston will stash them in his mom’s car.

“When we go in places, he just picks a few to come with and decides who he wants to give them to,” explained Jessie.

His mom has captured a few of the exchanges on camera.

“It’s been fun to watch him say, ‘excuse me’ to get someone’s attention,” she said.

Ryston has handed out nearly 40 cards already. He gets a little braver each time he gives a card away.

“Being able to come out of his shell and talk to strangers and knowing that strangers aren’t inherently dangerous and just making that distinction that you can talk to other people and spread kindness without being afraid of them,” said Jessie.

For Ryston, spreading kindness is what it’s all about.

“It made me feel good, so that’s why I wanted to do some stuff,” Ryston said.

He hopes his cards make others feel good, too.

Jessie said it’s fun to see who he’ll pick to give a card to. She says often, he chooses people she wouldn’t have been brave enough to approach.

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