“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.”
– Mom
In middle school I had odd-shaped ears and crooked teeth so naturally, I felt self-conscious. And naturally my features lead to heavy bullying. I would come home each day and cry to my mom about how bad the bullying made me feel and she would tell me, “a kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” I felt frustrated because I didn’t understand how kindness could heal. For so long, I couldn’t fathom embracing kindness.
It wasn’t until I was in high school when I finally understood what my Mom meant. It was the beginning of my junior year, when I walked into history class and saw him, the person who had called me names and bullied me relentlessly. He had left me feeling powerless for so long. Instead of stooping down to his level, I simply smiled at him and told him I hoped he would have a good day. He stared at me dumbfounded. I watched him try to get words out of his mouth but couldn’t. That’s when I understood what my mother truly meant. She taught me that no matter how unpleasant a person is you should “kill them with kindness.”
I now apply that quote in my everyday life and when I happen upon a particularly unpleasant person, I continue to smile at them and tell them to have a good day anyways. I wish I could tell all people who are bullied to never give up. I know how hard it is to be kind to people who have hurt you, but do it anyways because kindness is the best kind of medicine you could offer the world. For me it took a few years before I truly understood this, but I now make it my goal to be kind to at least one person each day.
Tristen R
Wasatch High School