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.
Love this post so much and everything it stands for! Every morning on the way to school we talk about 3 things. 1. I tell the kids to get their sillies out now in the car so hopefully they will behave at school. 2. We always talk about making good choices. 3. I ask them to be brave at school and if they ever see anyone needing help to please help them. I know the ABCs will come and so will the 123s, but compassion is so important to teach as well. We go to the dog shelter some Sat mornings too to give some love to the animals there. I think it’s important to show your kids that no matter how big or small each individual can make a difference! By writing this post, you guys have made me fall even more in LOVE with this clothing line!
I teach my 3 year old to always always use his manners and boy has it paid off! I was told that he is the most polite kid in his classs recently and is the only one who calls the teacher “Mrs. Rose”. Everything he wants and receives is followed with “please and thank you” he doesn’t ever get his way unless manners are used. I also teach my kids that no one has anything “wrong” with them but that everyone is just “different” no one is the same or “normal”. There is no “normal”
Thank you for posting. Sometimes we all need a little reality check and reminder.
One thing my mom ALWAYS repeated to me was the Golden Rule. Her grandmother was the one who kept harping it to her. It is something I hope to pass on to my children as well. Sometimes the high road it harder. Sometimes its easy to let our emotions or getting carried away in the moment. Once you put those words out there, you can’t take them back. This post is a reminder for me to do better.
So to those who read this comment….lets all try to “do unto others as you would have others do unto you”.
xoxoxoxoxo
I teach my kids to treat others how they would like to be treated. Why would you be rude and hateful to another person if you didn’t want that in return?
One of the sweetest things I’ve seen my daughter do (which has given me hope that she’s following this golden rule) is at soccer last year when she was almost three, any time a teamate or a child on the other team fell, she would help them up. It was so cute!
My son was also born with microtia atresia (an under developed ear), which we call his nemo ear (and I just have to add that I had a nemo baby shower – how crazy because we didn’t know about his ear until he was born!). But back to the point, it’s terrible that as a parent, I’m so afraid that he may be bullied! But if everyone makes the effort to raise their children right, we wouldn’t have such fears! I will do everything in my power to practice what I preach and raise my kids to be loving, accepting and respectful humans!
Thank you so much WDW for being a company that I can be proud to support!
My dad taugh me that no matter what position you have or how much money you make, you are never too good to be kind and treat others with and respect. There is no way to know their struggle. You shouldn’t ask anyone to do something that you yourself wouldn’t do. He owned a car dealership. Every Friday he would personally grill steaks for all of his shop workers. I loved seeing the respect and appreciation he had for their hard work. He and I both are sharing this with my daughter. She always seems to see the good in people.