On Tuesday, I stopped by Target on my way home and while I strolling through the aisles, I over heard a conversation between a mother and her daughter. The girl was in her early teens I would guess, and she was telling her mom about a girl at school who was bullying her. I watched her face twist, trying to fight tears, as she explained that the girl called her names like idiot, bitch, fat and stupid in front of her classmates. She looked down at her feet when she said the words "Why is she so mean to me?"
I held my breath, as I pretended to look at items I'd never buy, waiting for loving words of support from her mother.
But her mother was too busy dealing with her three younger children and simply said "Girls are mean."
Girls are mean. THAT'S IT?! Those were the only consoling words this mother could muster?! Has it gotten so bad that we are simply okay with brushing off such bullying as "kids are mean"?! As if that justifies it somehow?!
For a moment, I let my shock show and my cover was blown as the girl glanced at me, embarrassed. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to run over and wrap that poor girl in my arms...but this mom didn't seem like the type who would take that very well, so instead I mouthed "I'm sorry" to the girl as they left the aisle.
And then I was the one twisting my face, trying to fight tears.
After close to a dozen screenings of Finding Kind in our local schools, and after the countless hours my DWC sisters and I have put in...my heart was absolutely breaking when it sank in that there were so many girls who hadn't heard the message of kindness yet. As I write this post, I feel so much regret. I should have run after them. I should have asked her what school she went to so we could have approached them about a screening.
But I didn't.
The only thing I can do now, is turn that regret into motivation. We have our next screening on Monday the 25th, and I will approach it with a fire that hasn't burned this intensely since the beginning of our Finding Kind journey a year and a half ago. Because apparently, there's still a lot of kind to find.
That poor kid. My heart goes out to her. Why do people have children if they're not going to raise them? Doesn't that mother know how lucky she is to have a kid willing to TALK to her about those kinds of things instead of take it out on herself, inwardly, through cutting or through other self-destructive behavior? Argh. :(
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly. < Le sigh. >
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