We often say things we do not mean. Sometimes during a heated discussion, we get frustrated and the mouth gets a little ahead of the brain and something comes out that we wish we hadn’t said. When those comments are hurtful, we need to apologize.
I remember, when I was a child and heard other children teasing me, my mom would tell me to say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me." In modern times we are beginning to find out how untrue that was. Broken bones will mend but the damage caused by name calling can sometimes last a lifetime. I doubt we will ever completely get rid of the bully because he is there to take advantage of your injured ego. When you lack confidence to go after that big job he will jump in ahead of you and grab it. Just as we wear hardhats and safety shoes when working in a dangerous environment, we need to protect ourselves against the words people use to hurt us.
When we ourselves are the offenders and something comes out of our mouth that we should not have said, an immediate apology is required. We have injured our friend and now is the time to help her heal. If we witness it happening to others, we need to go to their aid and dress their wounds. An injured psyche is no laughing matter. Although immediate attention is called for, it is never too late for an apology. Our friend mAy carry the weight of our words for many years and need to know that we did not mean to say those awful things.
When it comes to bullying in the schoolyard it is Saidat to the rescue. It is hard to imagine how someone so beautiful could think that she was ugly, but listen to what she has to say in this video, then think twice before you say something hurtful to a friend.
