Welcome to a day in the life of any child in America. Where kids are bullied because of their outfits, their size, the color of their skin or hair, and anything else that the bully sees as a weakness. This is my open letter to the people who have affected my life and made me the person I am today. Instead of holding a grudge against them, I decided the best thing to do was to thank them.
Dear third-grade bully,
Thank you for making fun of me and the other kids in my class. You taught me to stand up for people and forced me to realize that everyone matters, no matter what they look like or how they act.
Thank you for walking away from the boy with autism when I told you to leave him alone.
Thank you for helping me find my passion for helping people with disabilities.
Dear sixth-grade bully,
Thank you for showing me what to look for in a disguised bully. You helped me learn that it’s possible for a friend to be a bully.
Thank you for laughing at me and making me self-conscious about everything I said. You taught me to speak more thoughtfully and to listen more carefully.
Dear middle school bully,
Thank you for calling me names in the hallway in front of the popular kids.
Thank you for making me feel ugly and unloved.
Thank you for choosing me, instead of another kid, to bring down in order to raise yourself up. You forced me to look in the mirror and accept myself.
Dear high-school bully,
Thank you for treating me like a disease when you walked by me. Even though it took a while, you made me stronger. You showed me that, after always wallowing in self-pity, it’s okay to stand up for myself.
Thank you for teaching me that I can’t let other people’s opinions of me affect how I live my life.