Beautiful....but...

                Twice today I heard the term “bullying”…so, something tells me that I, too, should continue to spread the word.

                While I was taking my mind off the arduous, huffing-puffing task of getting through 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, Demi Lovato was on a morning talk show addressing her past conflicts and sharing her experiences. She wanted other young girls, who may be going through some difficult times, to know (1) they weren’t alone, and (2) if you talk about things that are bothering you…help is available.

                Now, I wasn’t listening to her speak, but I was reading the sub-titles on the high-in-the–sky gym TV screen.  Looking at her I thought, “Wow, what a beautiful young girl…and so talented.” And then she shared her experiences of being bullied when she was a young girl and how cruel comments resulted in her choosing the path of an eating disorder…she faced a bi-polar diagnosis…and often engaged in self-injurious behavior by cutting her wrists.

                I’m sure many have looked at her and thought, “She’s famous, beautiful, talented…why on earth would she feel that way!?” 

                I can tell you…because she does.

                She doesn’t feel what people see on the outside. She’s just a girl who was bullied and suffered. She’s a girl who has tackled feelings of depression. She’s a girl who hurt so intensely on the inside that she slashed her own wrists to experience the pain on the outside.

                She’s a girl…. like your friend, daughter, neighbor, student, mom, or babysitter.

                She’s a girl with experiences and feelings.

                She’s a girl who is not to be judged by what you see on the outside, but to be appreciated for who she in on the inside.

                Just like you.

               

Thank you Mark Soccio for this Facebook post: That girl you just called fat? She is overdosing on diet pills. That girl you just called ugly? She spends hours putting makeup on hoping people will like her. That boy you just tripped? He is abused enough at home. That man with the ugly scars? He fought for our country. That guy you just made fun of for crying? His mother is dying. Put this on your status for an hour, if you are against bullying. Save a life - National Suicide Prevention Week.