[bgill]

'He considered these guys his friends, but they would make fun of him and pick on him and tease him. 'He was usually the brunt of that kind of joke, but he kept playing with them.'

Then why did mama allow those punks around him?

[miss marmelstein]

Dear God! One day this little fellow was running and playing and now this. I’m so sick...it hasn’t been a good day but this just puts the lights out.

[TheWriterTX]

My oldest was a gentle soul, a truly sweet kid, and as soon as I recognized nasty tendencies in any kid who came to play with him, out the door they went! For years, I wouldn't let him play with the cretins on the street. It was a lonely life for him, so we tried to fill his days with activities, games, music, and books, and showed him what true loving relationships were all about. He wasn't allowed near them, not until time allowed the full blessings of God to flourish within him.

He was about 13 when it happened. He went from a meek little guy to a 6' 250 lb. giant with strapping muscles. The miscreants came to the door wanting to know if my son could come out to play football. They were not prepared when he stepped outside, got on the line, and proceeded to destroy anyone who was set up to block him.

They never tried to bully him again.

It is very difficult for kids who want so desperately to fit in, to be liked and to have friends, to stand up for themselves. Some parents tell the kids to shake it off, knowing that the world is full of wolves and that they will have to learn how to cope. Some parents see it as normal childish teasing, part of the growing experience. Some parents, like me, see it as a potential threat and isolate the threat from their offspring.

Praying that this young man recovers and that the community rallies around him - not just now, but for the rest of his life.

[ETL]