To the girl who decided to use my daughter as a punching bag today,

As I watched my daughter cry, trying to make sense of your unwarranted bullying, my heart broke…for you.  You see, my daughter came home to a family who loves her and accepts her exactly as she is.  She doesn’t have to be perfect, get straight A’s, sit up straight, get first place, or anything else for us to love her.  We…just…love…her.  We love her exactly the way she is.  We love her intelligence.  We love her jokes.  We love how much she loves other people.  We even love how tender her heart is.

But I wonder about you. Do your parents love you like that?  Do they speak words of affirmation to you?  Do they tell you that you are still wonderful even if you get a zit…get dumped by a boy…fail a class?  Do you have to earn your parent’s approval?

More than anything, I know something that those other girls don’t know.  You are afraid.  Terrified.  You are scared that the other girls are going to see you for who you really are.  You are so uncomfortable being yourself, you need to put the focus on someone else.  Someone smaller.  Someone you can target.  Nice job.  You picked the girl who fell off of the horse.

But you missed something.  You forgot that she got back on the horse.  You were so busy choosing a target, that you didn’t notice her character emerge the second she got back on the horse.  Her character showed up with adversity.

So thank you.  Thank you for the opportunity to see the very best in my girl.  Thanks for reminding me why she is such a rock star.  Thanks for reminding me how much I love my daughter.

Sincerely,

Her Daddy

PS: I haven’t met you, but there is something I already know about you.  You are so loved.  You are completely and wholly loved and perfect the way you are.   And I hope you figure that out before you lose the opportunity to make a really great friend.