Time Out Tuesday: Always Stand Up For What You Believe In

For so long I’ve held back who I REALLY am, and  things I have experienced in my life.

I’m not just someone who cares about what on the outside; in fact I could walk around in sweats and holes in my sweatshirt and not even care.  But It’s so scary to open yourself to criticism.

This is my story of how I was bullied for doing the right thing.

As I entered into middle school. My parents were in the process of building a new home in a small town about 15 minutes from Indianapolis. Which meant I had to change schools.

When I walked into my new school I instantly noticed I was one of a few kids of any color. For about a year everything was great! I was making friends, and became very well-known. Heck , I had even made the cheerleading team. I was on cloud nine.

I started my seventh grade year and something was different. It seemed like the more popular I got, the more I was pressured into being one of the “mean girls.”  It wasn’t ok, I didn’t want to be that girl.

I was always the girl who would talk to everyone. And I wasn’t going to change who I was to be cool or popular.

One Saturday morning everything changed. I woke up to my mom and dad standing in the driveway of our new built home. I stepped out on the cold cement porch and noticed there were thing missing from of the yard, mustard splattered all over the sidewalk and garage door. It looked down as saw the N word, whore, among other things written crossed the entire driveway in what we later figured out was soft soap.  Which stained those horrible words on the driveway for years.

I felt horrible. I couldn’t understand why someone would do this.

Why me?

Was this happening because I wasn’t willing to change who I was to be cool?

The bullying went on and on.

I don’t want this to be a woe is me post. I want this to inspire someone to stand up for what you believe in no matter what.

I was bullied for doing the right thing.

I was bullied for being a skin color that I couldn’t help being.

It made no sense.

It was so hard to go to school and face those people everyday.

There were a lot of days I said I was sick when I wasn’t; I just didn’t have it in me to fight through the day. It affected my grades, it actually affected my whole outlook on school period.

From that day on I knew that doing that right thing no matter what I  had to face as a going forward was the best way to live. I didn’t have any regrets about not being the cool kid. The only thing I have regrets about is NOT standing up for myself.

It took a lot of courage and  there were a lot of tears. I know that The Lord took me through that season for a reason.  If you’re being bullied by ANYONE.

Tell someone.

Stand up.

Do what’s right.

 Speak your truth.

Don’t worry about if people like you.

If they don’t it’s ok, you have to know who you are, and if you like who you are.

One day you will look back and say that was the day my life was changed, I took a negative and made it a positive.

Make that day today.