This gamer had been put through the wringer last year, and when their birthday came around this month, their friends pulled out all of the stops to ensure they felt loved and appreciated in trying times.
2020 did a number on us all, but some have suffered a serious storm over the past twelve months. Karlee Anne Steadman lost their parents last year, and while coming to terms with this tragedy, their economic situation had complicated their recovery. Fortunately, they were able to maintain contact with their friends over Discord, in spite of the lockdowns and mandatory social distancing, and this was a bright light in their life. "Yesterday I celebrated my first birthday since both of my parents [sic] sudden death last year, and I wasn't feeling up to planning anything," explained Steadman in a post to the "Heck this is wholesome" Facebook group.
"Often my friend group gets together on Discord to play Animal Crossing, and as I don't have a Switch, I just talk to everyone," they continued. As a cute social life sim, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been praised for its relaxing and soothing gameplay, as well as its idyllic setting and low-stakes while completing daily tasks. Though the online element tends to be wonky at the best of times, it's connected people around the world in an uncertain point in history, and for that reason (and more) we gave it the title of Switch Game of the Year.
They added that they've sorely wanted to jump into the fun with their friends, however their savings were in a "rough" spot and they couldn't have afforded the expense. As aforementioned, Steadman wasn't motivated to celebrate their birthday, understandably, as they were missing two of the most important people in their life. The group were keenly sympathetic to this, and went the extra mile to let their friend know how much they mean to them. "Yesterday evening all of my friends showed up and surprised me by putting their money together and buying me that dang Switch and game! And it's my favorite color!" they said, sharing photos of a gloriously yellow Switch Lite. Steadman's already added their own flair to the console with stickers, and their friends had another surprise up their sleeves.
Advert
"(They also made me the Hokage :sob:)" exclaimed the gamer, and posted a photo of the garment. To the uninitiated, the hokage is a reference to the anime Naruto, where the strongest shinobi in the village is bestowed the honour and responsibility of caring for their people. The reception to the post has been momentous, with people from all over sending birthday wishes to Steadman. "My friend group has been together since the 3rd grade and I love them so deeply, I'm so glad you all can appreciate them too," they said, and thanked the community for their positivity.
Featured Image Credit: Nintendo, Karlee Anne Steadman via FacebookTopics: News, Animal Crossing