Twenty-five years after being bullied in High School, Lynda, posted a poem about herself and how it felt to be bullied in school. Her former schoolmates, including the bullies saw the poem and decide to make amends. They did not know what here life was back then, nor that her family was poor. The truth is that being poor should not have been an excuse to bully her. There is no reason good enough to bully someone. These bullies just as most bullies, will live with a lifetime of guilt, or they will one day bully someone who can defend themselves…or will find the person they are bullying has friends who will stand up to them. Here is the link to the video of Lynda’s story, and of the forgiveness that God gave her that allowed her to forgive those who had bullied her.
msnbc video: 25 years later, bullies make amends with classmate.
I remember in Junior High having a bully, in fact a girl named Debbie, who thought she had the right to taunt me because I didn’t pluck my eyebrows, nor did I wear makeup. You see it is a tradition in my family that you don’t wear makeup or any other girly thing until you reach the age of 13, and you don’t date until you are 16. She didn’t ask why I didn’t, just harangued me every day in class and the hallway between classes about it. Until one day, my bestfriend had enough of it and took this girl on right by the door to English class. Whenever Debbie harrassed me I just answered…”So?”, and walked off. I had confidence that I could handle myself if I needed to so I just didn’t let it get to me. The main reason I remember it all is because of my bestfriend Linda. She was the tallest girl in the school, and I was one of the shortest. She was calm, friendly, and sweet, and I was like dynamite ready to explode on anyone who gave me trouble. Having been friends since 5th grade I can truly say I had never seen Linda angry, nor had I ever seen her in a fight. That day when she went off on my bully, was the day I found out how much of a friend she was, because she wasn’t going to let someone bully me or any of her friends. When I think of best friends…Linda is the top and always will be, because she proved that like the Bible says…”Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for a friend.” Linda knew what my home life was like and she encouraged me when it was the toughest. It was because of Linda’s influence that I made a point of not letting my anger make me a bully, but instead to become one who would stand up for those I saw being bullied. I wish more kids would be Lindas in this world, both like my friend, and like the Lynda in the story, and be forgiving when they are bullied, or be the friend that will stand up against bullies for their friends and even for those who aren’t their friends. If you know someone who is being bullied, step up and be Jesus to that person. Protect them, stand with them, encourage them, and show them that someone cares for them. Who knows this may be the one who becomes your best friend for life.
