Speak out against bullying--Spread love not hate!

Bullying is never a good idea. It affects people in a most personal way. The old saying "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." The person who said this was probably never bullied and didn't know how much names actually can hurt and leave scars which never heal.

On a personal level, I have been asked to share a personal experience I had with bullying and since I feel strongly about it, I agreed to do it. When I was younger, in elementary school, I was bullied almost every day. It didn't matter what I did, or who I talked to, it always happened. I was called names and even got in fights almost every day. The one thing I wish I would have had back then were friends who actually considered me a friend. Sure there were people who acted like my friend when it suited them, but no true friends. Sure the teachers and principal tried to get it to stop, but in the end there wasn't much they could do. It was a hard 6 years of my life to say the least.

However with every good story, this one also ends on a good note. I attribute my undying loyalty to my friends from knowing what it's like not to have any friends. I made myself a promise all those years ago, that if I were to ever get some true friends, I would always be their friend for life. And I have never broken that promise either. I think those rough years have shaped me somewhat into the man I am today, along with some wonderful friends I have had for 20 plus years.

I don't hate those kids who picked on me and bullied me all those many years ago, in fact, some of them have actually apologized to me for that, and of course I accepted it. The thing that helped me the most through all of that, and that helped me not hate them was the knowledge that my Savior Jesus Christ loves me just like he does everyone else. I realized that I was not alone, even though I felt like it many times.

Please if you see anyone who is being bullied help them and continue to help them. Do whatever you can to let them know that they aren't alone and that they don't have to go through it alone. At the bottom of this post is a link that will take you to more stories like mine. Please take a moment and read them and remember to Spread love not Hate and Speak out again bullying.

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