'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'
Last Thursday a 16 year old girl in our area took her own life. It was the morning she was going to meet with her parents and the principle to discuss a bullying problem she was experiencing. She never made it to the meeting :( She said her goodbyes on facebook and hung herself.
I thought about her a lot this weekend and my heart breaks for this family. My journal page girl was meant to show sadness, but she almost looks like she's physically ill and I guess I am in a way. The cruelty that kids today display is unreal! Many times I've wished I could be young again and have my whole life ahead of me, but lately I have to wonder why? Why would I want to be young in these times? I wouldn't. I just don't remember behaving like that in my day. Sure, we may have talked about each other or muttered something not so nice, but we never harassed, bullied or made a point out of making someone feel just horrible. That just wasn't done and I don't know when it became common practice?!
If you have young kids in high school or heading into high school, please talk to them. We can't control what others do to them, but we can teach our children NOT to bully. Let's bring back the Golden Rule and make it a part of our kids' lives today. Adults can lead by example so we must also make this a part of our everyday lives.
You can see Cassidy Joy Andel's obituary here.
You can see Cassidy's facebook here
There is also a youtube video about this but for some reason I'm having trouble posting the link. You can search ' BK & Co Bully Busters' to see it if you'd like.
Sorry for the sad post but this blog is about my life, my world, and my art, but life is not always rainbows and puppy dogs :(
Rest in Peace Cassidy♥
There is also a youtube video about this but for some reason I'm having trouble posting the link. You can search ' BK & Co Bully Busters' to see it if you'd like.
Sorry for the sad post but this blog is about my life, my world, and my art, but life is not always rainbows and puppy dogs :(
Rest in Peace Cassidy♥
19 comments:
Darla I got chills reading this post. How sad. This peace expresses so much....it is very beautiful and a nice tribute to this girl who's life ended way too soon.
I agree with you about not wanting to be a kid growing up today. I don't remember it ever being this bad when I was in high school. Crazy times!
Thanks for sharing her story and this piece with us!
Hugs xo
Darla, this is so sad. My heart goes out to anyone affected by this.
I am posting a link to a UK bullying children's charity - there might be something like that in the US, but at the very least some of the advice on there might help someone.
http://www.beatbullying.org/
Dear Darla;
Principles, values, ethics.....why are parents no longer taking the time to teach their children these mainstays of a civilized society? We indulge, pacify, and coddle our children instead and we are paying a high price today for our latitude.
Don't get me wrong I love children, but they must be trained from birth to develop charity, compassion and empathy. These are difficult things to teach a child and I feel very strongly that most parents became to busy to take the precious time it requires to teach these lessons.
Back in my parents time it was African Americans and Native Americans who were bullied, reviled and tormented. We learned to rise above those evils and learned love and empathy. Sadly we failed to pass this lesson from history on to our children.
I will pray for this family and this precious girl.....and for all those out there still suffering. May a strong, courageous person step forward and lift you above the chaos....
Tina xo
Beautiful post Tina! Thanks Erin for the link! Thank you also Cathy♥
I will say a prayer for her tonight.
Dear Darla, thanks for sharing. It´s very sad to hear about this. Break my heart.
Your painting is beautiful, like she was.
Hugs,
Maria Esperanza
I am so sorry to hear this. Thank you for helping to grow an awareness of this problem. i don't understand why kids have to be so cruel to others.
Thank you for this post, Darla. I so feel for this young girl's family. What a tragedy. A couple of years ago at my daughter's high school a seventeen year old did the same..... another victim of bullying.
I remember high school a little differently. There was a lot of bullying in mine. There was not the social media however where kids could post things. I agree that we need to talk to our children and tell them that it is unacceptable to bully and make anyone feel bad.
Prayers for Cassidy's family. I am so sad by this current trend of bullying and it's results. Darla your journal page completely captures the pain involved.
Bullying is something we talk about often in our house. Talking about any problems is a good thing.
Thanks Darla
darla, that is tragic. i just visited her page. she seemed like a wonderful young soul and i'm so sorry she couldn't see that life would be better. hugs to you and thanks for sharing her story.
xo
So moved by this. I can't bear to think of the pain her family must be going through. Why can kids be so cruel? I just don't understand it either.
this just breaks my heart...Tina is right, where are the parents of these bullies, and why are they not teaching their children to be good human beings??
I dealt with bullying too as a child, the difference is when I left school, I was safe, there was no social media where kids could attack you at all hours. I don't think all this social media is a necessarily good thing for us. There is no escape for children, they go home, log onto their computer, and can be faced with cruelty and bullying.
I feel so bad for her family, that poor girl didn't deserve to end this way
peace
I just found the youtube video. I felt this mans words in my heart and I think it is extremely important that you brought this to your blog. The word needs to spread. And it is better to do something about it...than nothing. zinnia
I was just admiring your new journal lady when I saw this one. This is so sad. In September my cousin's son took his own life--he was 23 (the same age as my son)
They never saw it coming--I just can't get over this---I can't imagine the devastation of what a parent would feel in this situation.
Oh Darla, don't know how I missed this post yesterday. It is so sad. Like you say when did all this bullying start to be so commonplace? Why are our children so angry that they have to lash out at their peers?
hugs xx
I could write a long comment but I won't. I will just say that when my daughter came home one day and said she would kill herself if I made her go back to school I let her stay home.
I think bullying has always been there and it will remain.Much of the time like my daughter children suffer in silence.If you are a parent never put the life and happiness of your children into someone else's hands.
Because if you do you are forcing them into a situation that neither of you have control over.It's sad that this happens and that the human race has not evolved that much.
Darla so sorry to hear this. It is SOO heart breaking!!! Your art is so captivating!!! Bullying MUST BE STOPPED.
Thanks for sharing
Shel
This post just breaks my heart and, sadly, it is a huge problem nowadays. Like you, Darla, there just wasn't this type of bullying back in our day. Nowadays, it's like a mob mentality against one individual to the point where they feel like there is no way to escape it apart from suicide...so scary! I dread my son starting high school in a couple of years. Compassion and empathy seem to be lost on a lot of the young ones today. It's a real worry.
My heart goes out to Cassidy's family.
A beautiful and heartfelt tribute, Darla!
Love, light and peace,
Serena
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