Last night I discovered this video. It is a poem written (and spoken in the video) by Shane Koyczan with terrific animation.
It really resounded with me as I reflected on the impact we have on each other by the words we speak and the way we treat each other. It left me grateful to have come out on the other side of being bullied and that I am surrounded by people in my life now who make me feel great about who I am.
Watch it. Share it. And visit tothisdayproject.com
I watched this video with my husband and we talked about it for a while afterward: about our experiences, about how we would react if we found out one of our children was bullying someone else, and about how bullies usually pick on others because of their insecurities, not necessarily because there is anything wrong with their victim.
The words of Shane's poem are powerful, and I don't really think that there is anything I could say that gets to the heart of it faster than he does, but just know that bullying is wrong. Shameful. It affects the people bullied infinitely longer than the the thoughtless seconds it can take to say or do something cruel to one of our fellow human beings. Be kind.
I decided to write a post about it too, because I feel really strongly about how we should treat those around us. I believe that every individual has the right to feel safe and not to have to fear being attacked (verbally or otherwise). Everyone deserves to be recognised for their strengths and not defined by what anyone else sees as imperfect or wrong with them. Some people, particularly young ones, don't seem to realise that what it so easily said or done can stay with the other person for a long time. This is what we must teach our kids... but that's another blog post for another time.
If you haven't watched the video yet, do! But I'll leave you with some of my favourite words.
and if you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself
get a better mirror
look a little closer
stare a little longer
because there’s something inside you
that made you keep trying
despite everyone who told you to quit
you built a cast around your broken heart
and signed it yourself
you signed it
“they were wrong”
Today I am the lucky husband of Tracey. I love her and for some unfathomable reason she loves me too. We have two beautiful daughters and another child on the way. I am highly skilled in my profession. I have many friends. But I still have the scars of school bullies even though it has been over ten years since I finished school. Watch your words every one. Especially to children. They may hide it but they all are very sensitive. They remember.
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