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.
to just be a good example myself…little eyes are always watching…and everyday I say to my children be a good example…and of coarse to choose light over dark and kindness always!
Always be kind to others regardless of how they may treat you. Keep God first. Let your actions speak louder than words. When God is in your heart it will truly shine
I try to be the type of person I want my children to be and hope that I succeed more often than I fall short. Kindness, honesty, and appreciation for gifts and struggles of others are all things I hope my children will learn. The book, “The Hundred Dresses,” by Eleanor Estes teaches these lessons well. It was a favorite of mine as a child and, despite the title, is a favorite of my son as well as my daughter. Thank you for the inspiring blog post.
In college, I had the pleasure of taking four classes at ULL with Dr. David Thibodaux. What an incredible man! Dr. Thibodaux was the inspiration behind my decision to become a teacher. His messages were so profound; I just knew that I would find joy teaching and sharing those messages with my students. The same joy he wore in his smile every day of class.
At the end of every semester, Dr. Thibodaux would give us a good bye letter. This letter would summarize our time together as well as his suggestion to always remember the lessons. He concluded each letter with a beautiful phrase that burned into my memory forever.
“The world is hard on all of us, let us be gentle with one another.”
Every year I taught, I shared this phrase on the walls of my classroom, right underneath the front page article from The Daily Advertiser that announced the death of this great man. My students knew this phrase and in their times of need, I would write or whisper to them “be gentle” and they knew what I meant.
At the end of the school year, I too write my students a goodbye letter. Reminding them of our time together and asking them, just as Dr. Thibodaux did, to keep the lessons alive. I concluded each letter with that most beautiful quote. The quote that quintessentially encompasses all that was good in Dr. David Thibodaux.
My son is now 9 years old. He is beginning to see that side of humans that I never wanted him to see. He gets picked on because of his sweet and quiet demeanor. I’ve explained to my son why people act this way; that sometimes people are unhappy in their heart and sometimes that unhappiness comes out in their words and actions. I say this phrase to my son every time he encounters a situation that makes him feel hurt by someone. It has helped him to understand that it is not his fault, that he is simply being himself and the other person is the one who is truly hurting. Instead of responding with anger, we respond with love, because that is what that person needs most.
These words find me when I always need them most. When my instinct tells me to be angry, I remind myself of the importance of being gentle. We have no idea what others are going through, that is something we can never know. One thing that we can be sure of is that gentleness is something we can all use in this tumultuous world.
We try to teach our children to treat people with respect, give people your honesty, always be willing to lend a hand and love like theres no tomorrow