 |
| Image: Amanda Todd Facebook memorial pg |
Bullying (the hot topic for over a decade) is an epidemic that seems uncontrollable. But as a mother of two, I refuse to believe that it can't be stopped. For a while, I dismissed bullying stories because I felt the media was simply glamorizing these acts of hate. I also wondered what role the parents of these victims were playing. How were they supporting their child emotionally? Did they verbally brainwash their children into believing they were inferior, therefore lacking in self-esteem? Where was the deep rooted, unconditional love only a parent can provide? I'm sure there are endless answers to these questions, but the tough questions go to the parents of the bullies. Where is the love? There's absolutely no way you can convince me that a child raised with raw love, can ever hurt someone so badly, that they'd encourage them to commit suicide.
But I can clearly see how bullying has changed since I was a child. In elementary school, having nicknames for our peers was a tradition. Though these nicknames certainly weren't kind, that was about the extent of bullying that I can recall. Today bullying goes way beyond the school yard and doesn't end at 3 pm. Thanks to our high-tech world, bullying takes on a whole new life in cyberspace. Our children today live under a microscope with little room for pity. Verbal torture is the hottest trend on Facebook - so now what? Well I'm so done with hearing yet another suicide stat under the bullying category. I thought I'd write a post that could perhaps enlighten just one little soul or awaken one parent.
Kindness is simple. Love is what completes us. Communication is the essential tool to connect kindness with love. Talk to your children with an open heart and express the responsibility they have to be kind human beings. But in order for our children to buy into our lecture, WE, the adults, have to show kindness and love towards others as well. If you sit on the phone criticising your "friend", and your children hear that, what message are you sending? If you then attempt to discuss the harmful affects bullying has on others, you're most likely going to get tuned out. Bullying isn't only a child/teen crisis, it's actually very common among adults as well. Judgement, criticism, belittlement are all recognizable, unloving actions, that we're all guilty of doing. If each day, you commit to replacing a critical comment with a compassionate one, you're now part of the solution. Inhale the love, exhale the hostility.
In the end (as always) only kindness matters. Show kindness towards yourself, those you love, and to the ones you love a little less - bring it on! When you see someone who hurt you and have the power to wish them well - that's character. Make your mission to be so busy loving your life, you have no time for hate or regret. Share that mission at your dinner table or with your students. You're never too young or too old to manifest random acts of kindness. We're all responsible for our actions, so why not make them positive ones? Want to end bullying? Start by sharing love, compassion, and kindness because those actions can never destroy any human being's spirit.
To Amanda Todd, and all the other silent heroes who drowned in hatred; your legacy will live on forever. Through your deep suffering, you helped others defeat their demons. It takes true character to be a warrior and these fallen angels make up the warriorship. RIP.
