Lately I have been thinking a lot about words, emotions and the mind. I have also been thinking about how delicate the mind is. We often do not stop to think about it, I would guess as we are (mostly) sound of mind.
However, I have seen more and more lately that maybe we are fooling ourselves more than we realize, as I watched a documentary on bullying in the U.S. last week. I had to wipe away tears as I listened to the stories of children in school talk about their experiences being bullied. My heart ached as I listened to a mother talk about finding her daughter hanging in her closet because she could no longer take the bullying.
It reminded me of (very brave) friend who shared the story of the night she considered taking her own life. She was not bullied in the sense we tend to think of. As an adult, she was experiencing judgement and shame for something she should not have been judged for. She was alone in many ways and fighting on many fronts to keep her life together. I am glad she made it through that long, dark night. She is one of the strongest, most amazing people I know. Her life now is also completely different. I was honoured to share a reading at her wedding a few years ago.
Over the past month I have had some very in-depth conversations with friends I have known for over 20 years. I suppose that is the beauty of a friendship that has lasted that long. There is depth and honesty not every relationship can have. There is trust, security, encouragement and love. I was amazed I had such amazing people in my life for so long. Through those 20 plus years, we have all battled some difficulties. We have all struggled with things. We have all celebrated great successes. We have all had great disappointments and loss.
So what does this have to do with one small act? Our minds are delicate. They can only take so much hardship, difficulty, harshness, or strain. I know many people who have battled mental illness at some point. Often it was a lot of little things or some very big thing that caused the illness.
Just as one small negative act, repeated, can cause pain, so one small positive act can create joy. I watched the story of an elderly woman who sits at her window and waves to all the school kids as they walk by. She does this every day in the morning, before lunch, after lunch and after school. ALL the kids wave back. Her little gesture meant so much to the students they decided to surprise her on Valentine's Day. They held an assembly with the whole school and she was cheered as she walked in. She had no idea what they had planned.
It made me think of all those children who are bullied each day. What if they had someone who simply demonstrated kindness. Would that help them find the strength to speak up and ask for help? As adults, we still need that kindness. What if we started to look for one small way we could be that kindness to someone else?
We have no idea what battles those around us are truly facing. What we do know, is how amazing it can be to have someone share a bit of kindness and joy with us. Let's work at being that person for others. Maybe, just maybe, we will cross paths with someone fighting a battle larger than them and be able to help. Surely there is nothing better than that.
However, I have seen more and more lately that maybe we are fooling ourselves more than we realize, as I watched a documentary on bullying in the U.S. last week. I had to wipe away tears as I listened to the stories of children in school talk about their experiences being bullied. My heart ached as I listened to a mother talk about finding her daughter hanging in her closet because she could no longer take the bullying.
It reminded me of (very brave) friend who shared the story of the night she considered taking her own life. She was not bullied in the sense we tend to think of. As an adult, she was experiencing judgement and shame for something she should not have been judged for. She was alone in many ways and fighting on many fronts to keep her life together. I am glad she made it through that long, dark night. She is one of the strongest, most amazing people I know. Her life now is also completely different. I was honoured to share a reading at her wedding a few years ago.
Over the past month I have had some very in-depth conversations with friends I have known for over 20 years. I suppose that is the beauty of a friendship that has lasted that long. There is depth and honesty not every relationship can have. There is trust, security, encouragement and love. I was amazed I had such amazing people in my life for so long. Through those 20 plus years, we have all battled some difficulties. We have all struggled with things. We have all celebrated great successes. We have all had great disappointments and loss.
So what does this have to do with one small act? Our minds are delicate. They can only take so much hardship, difficulty, harshness, or strain. I know many people who have battled mental illness at some point. Often it was a lot of little things or some very big thing that caused the illness.
Just as one small negative act, repeated, can cause pain, so one small positive act can create joy. I watched the story of an elderly woman who sits at her window and waves to all the school kids as they walk by. She does this every day in the morning, before lunch, after lunch and after school. ALL the kids wave back. Her little gesture meant so much to the students they decided to surprise her on Valentine's Day. They held an assembly with the whole school and she was cheered as she walked in. She had no idea what they had planned.
It made me think of all those children who are bullied each day. What if they had someone who simply demonstrated kindness. Would that help them find the strength to speak up and ask for help? As adults, we still need that kindness. What if we started to look for one small way we could be that kindness to someone else?
We have no idea what battles those around us are truly facing. What we do know, is how amazing it can be to have someone share a bit of kindness and joy with us. Let's work at being that person for others. Maybe, just maybe, we will cross paths with someone fighting a battle larger than them and be able to help. Surely there is nothing better than that.
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