if not me...
If not us, then who If not me and you Right now, it’s time for us to do something If not now, then when Will we see an end To all this pain It’s not enough to do nothing It’s time for us to do something ~ Matthew West
It is 1995 and a boy sits alone at the lunch table. He's skinny and quiet, wearing a tattered Polo shirt. His name is Don. He typically roams the halls during lunch to avoid scenes like this, but today he is starved... So he eats, dodging occasional cheeto bullets from the next table. It is Friday so pep rally excitement fills the air. Don stares at his food, likely battling an internal voice yelling GET UP! RUN AWAY! And perhaps the voice almost wins. He's picking up his half-eaten tray when a cheerleader takes the seat beside him. She glares at her friends who sheepishly put their chips away as she starts a conversation. His behavior is often odd, to be sure, but he means no harm (years later he will be diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome). The bell rings and she rises to leave. He flashes a cautious smile and holds his head a little higher. They don't become best friends or eat together every day, but this is the last time he will feel humiliated and alone in the cafeteria. A line has been drawn in the sand, and a light cast on mean behavior that will no longer be glorified or tolerated. One girl, one small act of courage and kindness changes everything.
What did her parents do? Why, in the midst so much wrong, did she choose RIGHT? And how can we grow little humans who will become assets to humanity? Bullying, my friends, is alive and well... And not isolated to children. Social media has exacerbated the problem, allowing people to abuse one another behind the relative safety of their computers. And, good people, fearing they might be the next victim of widespread attacks, are unwilling to defend or protect the wronged. Like wildfire, negative news spreads, lies become truth, and wrongdoing is praised and passed on. Yikes. Thought it was hard being a kid in 1995? Good luck to our children if we don't make a stand now. We started Well Dressed Wolf with little more than a dream, a few sketches and our innocence. Somehow, little by little, our baby company started growing... and in just a few years has become something we never imagined. Along the way we have made friends (so many friends!). We've gained wisdom, honed our craft, learned valuable (sometimes costly!) lessons in business, and watched women come together for the good of each other and the world. We've celebrated babies being born and literally watched children grow up through pictures (wearing WDW!). In the early days, we jumped right into social media, joining the many groups that popped up in our name. Having never been involved in the underground world of children's clothing, it was a rush! Interacting with customers on such a personal level was thrilling and gratifying... Until it wasn't. Recently, we have stepped away from all groups (most of which are lovely places full of wonderful women!) because it was necessary. We didn't start this business to referee or participate in sparring factions of clothing lovers and buyers and sellers. We aren't politicians and have no desire to be. Our daily posts shouldn't be planned like a State of the Union address-- each word measured and monitored for potential hidden meaning or intention. We started this journey because we LOVE to design adorable things for your children and we LOVE getting to know so many good people who have rallied around our brand (and there are so many good people). In fact, a positive and inspiring community group will soon be launched exclusively for friends of Well Dressed Wolf. We hope you'll take part! We plan to pop in periodically and you'll get sneaks, make supportive friendships, take part in giveaways and have opportunities to help make the world a BETTER PLACE. It really is time to make social media a more positive experience again- for our children; for ourselves. Adults bullying one another and harassing businesses should never be okay.
As we tell our own children, you have CHOICES every day: seek darkness or seek light. Make a positive impact on the world or a negative one. Seek to inspire or to destroy. Do what you know is right- even when it isn't "cool". Don't seek revenge (no matter how much you want to!) and pray for the people who hurt you (this one is a toughie!). You aren't perfect and you'll make mistakes, so learn to apologize and forgive. Be honest, but be kind. Truth doesn't have to hurt... THESE are goals for our own lives (and business), and though we sometimes fall short, we are confident in the path we've chosen.
You're living the one and only life that God has gifted you, so make it count.
Love,
Sarah and Shannon
On that note, let's celebrate being good today. We have some sweet giveaways and links to happy places below:
- Our mantra for the day is BE A NICE HUMAN! And guess what? Our dear friend launched a company built to inspire just that! Our new favorite tank reminds everyone we meet to behave nicely in a modern, graphically pleasing font (bonus!). Danielle has generously offered a shirt, bag, candle and bracelet to one lucky person! Sidenote: you'll want to buy some for everyone you know, so here is their facebook page (where they happen to be hosting a giveaway of their own, so go check it out!).
- We are all works-in-progress. The Finishing School is a book we genuinely look forward to delving into! Several of our friends have also purchased the pre-order and we plan to work through the chapters together, encouraging one another along the way. Valerie of Val Marie Papers has generously offered a book for one of you!
- This little cardi/vest/sweater is the most versatile thing our my closets (yes, we both have one!). Dress it up, dress it down... Wear it as a long sleeveless vest or long-sleeved cozy cardi. Add a tank, skinnies & boots - and you're ready to hit the streets and make good things happen. One lucky winner will receive this beauty, but keep your eye on Buckle for restocks or similar items!
- Luxe by Virtue is a good friend's jewelry line. Tracy's pieces are stunning and available only through boutiques and high end retailers... and here for one lucky person! This brand stands for all of the things we love: goodness, righteousness, integrity, dignity, honor, nobility, purity and worthiness (a portion of all proceeds go to Giving Hope NOLA, dedicated to feeding needy elderly in New Orleans). We are so excited to share these pieces with one of you. You can see more of her glistening beauties by following her Instagram and you can purchase online at Shop Bella Vita.
Having a two year old and a 4 month old can be overwhelming especially in conjunction with a more than 40 hour a week job running an operating room. I think growing up good girls starts with what they observe from me and my husband. We are careful to only speak to each other respectfully and to speak to others the same. I teach my oldest to share and love her baby sister. At two she says please and thank you consistently. We teach her to help us if she sees we need it even in her baby abilities like putting her toys away. Most of all we teach her to love all people regardless. I love this post and as the wife of a police officer who faces more hate than anyone currently in our society, it is nice to see good people still exist.
Be Polite. That is how we looked to raise our daughter, now a 9 year old little lady. I think if you start with one small beacon of light in their lives, the rest will follow along nicely. She is such a polite little lady, raised to say “please” and “thank you” when it’s called for and sometimes even when it’s not. She is humble in her little world, and strives to be a good example for all. She faces courageous steps as she navigates the waters of elementary school, not only for the obvious but for her daily battle against Juvenile Arthritis. She has sadly encountered bullying due to her illness and it saddens me, but she always keeps a smile on her face. She does not let the meanness of others knock her spirit down. I like hearing that she follows the rules at school and will always ask us permission to go online to watch those silly kitty cat videos on YouTube! Ha! :)
Very similarly, I was at lunch in high school – i think I was a junior at the time and there was a group of the popular guys taunting a young girl who was different and was in the support classes. I was with some friends and looked over and the 2 teachers monitoring it – they saw it but did nothing. It took everything to walk up and say something needed to be done and I brought her over to sit with us. Then, the principal called me in and I had to recount it. The guys got in trouble and some had girlfriends who were my friends and it was an icy few weeks with some backlash. I came out of that situation remembering to always be kind – you never know what someone is struggling with and it’s not ‘cool’ to be part of the ‘in crowd’ if they are being so mean and nasty. – To this day (12/13 years later) that memory still remains and when I struggle with a decision or find myself being insensitive, it comes to me, and I am reminded to be kind and mindful of my words and actions. Thank you for all you do!!
I love you ladies so much! Thank you for posting this. Treat everyone the way you would like them to treat you. With kindness and grace! :)
Please and thank you – we teach our children to say please and thank you every time! Love one another is also a term we use daily around our home. When we are correcting our children for arguing or not sharing we encourage them to love one another. We often ask them what they love about each other and how they can love one another better while we are at the dinner table – not in the midst of an argument but just in a time when we can sit and talk about hear things. We all answer these questions about each family member. Another phrase we love is people are more important than things. Anytime a toy is fought over we talk about the fact that people are more important than things. More than teaching we try to model these things to our children in the way we treat them and each other! And even more than anything we can do we pray that the Lord will take hold of he hearts of our children and give them love and compassion and kindness that only he can give! ??