Get unwrinkled

           When my daughter was in kindergarten, I was anxious for her to get to know other girls at her school, so I recruited and ran a Daisy scout troop.  I remember that each meeting was to have a discussion about a topic related to character, but I no longer remember where my materials came from.  At any rate, one week we were to talk about being kind, and from my prep work I had the example of a piece of paper.  If you crumble it up (hurt someone’s feelings), it can be smoothed out again (apologize), but it can never again be unwrinkled (hurt lasts forever).  I used the example in the meeting, but have never forgotten it because it bothered me.  Sure, you shouldn’t hurt someone’s feelings.  But if your feelings have been hurt, you don’t have to stay hurt forever.  Go ahead and get unwrinkled.

                In talk about bullies or mean or dominant kids, and their “victims,” I think we tend to get caught up in dealing with the bully.  But it’s equally important to make sure the “victim” knows they are not a victim for life, and that they are not defined by the victimhood.