Kids will be Kids

As I am reading the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio, many memories of my schooling come to mind. In Wonder, ten-year-old Auggie who was born with a facial deformity attends school for the first time in his life after being home-schooled. When at school, he faces the pressures of fitting in to a new school environment, people mocking him based off of his appearance, and the challenges of establishing genuine friendships. His struggles pushed me down some harsh streets on memory lane.

"Kids will be kids" and "Kids say the darndest things" are two phrases I've heard to explain away actions or words children may do or say. When I was in school, I experienced times in middle and high school where my friends made fun of my devotion to my religion (Christianity). They poked fun at me when I brought Bible verses to school to memorize and the fact that I did not show physical affection to boys because I believed that I should be older/more spiritually mature before getting into a relationship or anything remotely like a relationship. The emotions that were generated in me during those moments were a great mix of confusion, helplessness, anger, frustration, and hurt all mixed into one big ball in the middle of me. Though those moments of being made fun of were not abusive or extreme in any way, I remember them as clear as day--more than any lesson or experience in all my secondary schooling.

I can relate to a fraction of what Auggie was going through in this novel. He, unfortunately, was always being stared at regardless of where he went or what he did. Reading this novel is helping me feel grateful for the blessings of health that I have been given and reminds me that words can be very hurtful. Regardless of who is there or not there, it is important to speak good about others otherwise it may come back to bite.

To end my post, I love one of the precepts mentioned in Mr. Browne's class in Wonder.
"When given the choice between being right, or being kind, choose kind." 
This is a quote I will keep at the forefront of my mind in this new week as I interact with the world around me.