It does not hurt to ask.
Taylor Mosley and her husband were in the car getting gas when their son, Easton, noticed a fire truck next to them. Mosley joked that Easton should ask the firefighters if he could honk their horns, but she was surprised when “he said, ‘Okay, I will do it.'”
Mosley spoke exclusively with PEOPLE about seeing the heartwarming event and instilling confidence in her children.
“I was totally kidding,” she says. “As an 11-year-old, I never would have said, ‘Yes, I will do that,’ and put myself out there.”
Despite telling Easton she was “just kidding,” her comment inspired him to move outside of his comfort zone.
“He asked, ‘Can I really do that?'” she says.
Mosley instructed Easton to seek permission from his father, which he did. The couple watched as Easton approached the firefighters and struck up a conversation before getting into the firetruck.
Because it was his first time behind the wheel, he required some advice from the firefighters before covering his ears and issuing two blaring honks.
“He was really excited. He is my little daredevil. “He will do whatever,” Mosley says. “We have given him that confidence. He was not nervous; he was eager to do it.”
Mosley thinks the pleasant experience had a long-term impact on her son, who may desire to join the fire service when he grows up.
“I have always taught him: if you want to do something, do it. Nothing will stop you. Have the confidence to do it, and you can do anything,” she says. “I try to step back, watch them do it from a distance, and hope they are brave enough to do it.”
Mosley has led by example, teaching Easton and her 4-year-old daughter the value of trying new things while chronicling her life on TikTok. The video of Easton became viral, with 9.6 million views.
“I have tried not to let anything stop me,” Mosley says. “If you put yourself out there on TikTok, you have to do your own thing and locate the individuals with whom you connect the most, and hope they like you back. It takes a lot of confidence to put yourself out there, but I attempt to do so now.
Mosley said she has received a lot of support from people in the fire department or associated to firefighters since uploading the adorable video of Easton.
“The comments said how much the firefighters truly love that and this is as much of a joy for them as it is for the kids,” she told me. “Do not be scared and go talk to them, they are just people, they are just little big kids too, and they love playing with the buttons and playing with all the toys.”
