While I was watching the snow fall last week, I had this thought…we are all like snowflakes, each different and beautiful in our own way. Now granted it has taken me a few days to get this thought posted but none the less I think it’s something we should all think about. I realize that we all know we are different but how many of us really think about the fact, we are all beautiful.
Have you ever helped in making fun of someone else for being different? Maybe they had a funny haircut, wore “out of style” clothes or have a physical impairment that doesn’t look “normal”. Let’s be honest, we all have. Though we may not mean to, at some point we have either started or joined in on making someone feel less of themselves. Where we have all been a part of some sort of bullying, I would bet we have all been bullied before as well. Think back, how did it feel? Not so great, huh. What we need to remember is this; we never know what that other person is feeling. They could be facing problems far worse than ours or fighting battles we cannot even imagine. Saying even the smallest of negative comments could send that other person right over the edge. Making them want to do something that could harm themselves or others. It’s easy to go with the flow with what our friends are doing or saying as we don’t want to be the one who is being picked on. But think about this; if your friends pick on you for not picking on someone else, are they really your friends? I would say not so much. Now I am not saying that you should get all new friends. I am simply saying don’t go with the flow. Take a moment to think about that other person and their feelings. Think about the fact that we are all different and that’s what makes us all special. The world would be pretty darn boring if we all were the same. I am not saying that you need to be best friends with everyone in the world but simply to say hi or smile at someone who looks down. A smile instead of a negative comment is all it could take to make someone’s day.
Though I may not know you, I have a challenge for you. I challenge you to smile. Smile, at the person who is eating lunch alone. Smile, at the person who is wearing clothes that are “not in style”. Smile, at the person who doesn’t really “fit in” to your social group. You may never know the impact of your smile to that person but it could make a BIG difference in their life. :)
