I wish I knew who to credit this graphic to, but alas, I do not. There have been a great many times in the course of surviving and moving forward past the targeted bullying of my daughter, where I have wished I had removed her from a situation sooner, wished I had thrown manners way and stood up, and so many other things. But I cannot go back.
I can, however, share the experience, and change how I approach things from now on. I can be mannerly to those people from a distance, but assert that my children WILL NOT be one on one with them, though they have still found ways to corner my daughter to be "friendly". I cannot change that the folks who should be there to look out for the youth still protect those who do this, maybe because they feel those volunteers cannot be replaced even if their motives are not altruistic. I cannot protect the kids from folks like that throughout life, they will have to learn to hold their own and not fall victim, while still portraying manners and civility. So I will keep working on letting go of what I cannot change, and change what I can, without living in fear or as a victim.
I know in time, I will learn to forgive, though I cannot forget, and I will not allow them the opportunity to do that again. But it will take me time, and first I will work on those coulda-shoulda-wouldas. They don't really help at all. Got any tricks for those? Please share!
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