Dear Bullied — There is no other you.
To anyone who has been bullied:
Dear ________,
I LOVE YOU and I don’t even know you. I don’t know you outside of the internet. I don’t know you in person. I don’t know who you are inside. I don’t know what you like to do, what your favorite color is, who sings your favorite songs, what you like to eat. But I still love you. I don’t know exactly how old you are, what your family life at home is like, what you feel everyday. But I still love you. I don’t know how you talk, what you sound like or even where you live. But I still love you.
Those people–those people who tear you down–they don’t know any of that stuff about you either. They don’t know how long you brush your teeth, or what your dreams are or what your favorite hobby is. They don’t know anything about the REAL YOU. So for every person who tears you down because they think they know who you are, or they don’t even care to know who you are, I’m telling you RIGHT NOW: For every person who doesn’t know you, who tears you down, who laughs at you, yells at you, makes fun of you, FOR EVERY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THERE ARE 100 MORE people out in the world WHO LOVE YOU… and we don’t know you any more than they do, but we still love you.
I don’t know you, internet friend. I know you are hurt. I know you’re hurt because of people who have such insecurities they must conform to be exactly like the next guy just to feel good about themselves. But you know what happens to those people in the real world? They are lost. They are confused. They have no idea who they are. After school/work is over, they have no group to follow. But you–wonderful, amazing, beautiful, courageous, STRONG, powerful you– you have spent years figuring out who you are BECAUSE OF THEM, and you will be stronger for it. You already are stronger than them.
But I don’t know you, so how do I know you are stronger than they are? You are here. You see what they are doing is wrong. You are living in the REAL WORLD. Those bullies, they are living in middle school/high school/work world and NOT in the real world. Because in THE REAL WORLD, THE BIG WORLD, THE EARTH, everyone has a chance to be someone great, be themselves and be loved for it. You are putting your mark on this planet by being you, and it is bugging those bullies that you are succeeding. That’s why they bully you. The mark you are leaving on this planet isn’t exactly the same as their mark, so they have to make comments or lies about how you are different, how they don’t like you, how you should be more _________. They say all those mean things because you aren’t trying to be exactly like them. That makes you STRONG. That makes you A LEADER. That makes you IMPORTANT.
Never forget how valuable you are. You already know you’re something special, because you continue to be yourself. You have a million reasons to be here. One of which is because there is no other you. You are the only you this world will ever see. So please, let the rest of us get a chance to know the only you the world will ever see. We all want to see what mark you are leaving on the world. Don’t let the people who are intimidated by your uniqueness stop you from putting your mark on the world. There’s a whole couple billion more people out in the world, every single one who has a different opinion from that bully.
I pray you have sweet people in your life to help you through the tough times. You can email me if you need some support. Or you can not say anything, not email, not anything. That’s completely okay. I want you to know it’s available if you need it. I’ll still love you.
I want you to know: You are loved. Way loved. So loved.
My life slogan is “If life hands you lemons, don’t make lemonade.” Because, if you really think about it, making lemonade isn’t ALL you can do with a lemon. Think of how many things can be done with a lemon?! Why we just limit ourselves to lemonade is beyond me. And you, my friend, seem like someone who can do much more than just the status quo of making lemonade with your lemons. You are Loved–By me, by many others in the world, by God and by Jesus. NO MATTER WHAT anyone says. YOU ARE LOVED BY LOTSA PEOPLE.
-Hayley
——————-