Bullies 7th day

7^th Day after Christmas. Prayers for those who are Bullied

     I was sitting at a table when I noticed that one of the 12 year old boys is crying. I go over but he is trying to keep his tears in and can’t talk. I take the boys around him by the arms and pull them into a corner. “Start talking,” I say.

     “We didn’t know he would start crying, we were just teasing him,” one boy protests.

       It took a long time but we all learned something about being a bully or a victim.

     When you are vulnerable, you can be picked on as a victim. If you are not vulnerable, you close yourself off from any risk or from any deep relationship. It feels like a no-win.

     “Can you say why you bullied him?” I ask. He answers, “I just wanted him to toughen up. He always…