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.
I would tell them how I try to teach my Children. I teach my children, to be brave, to be kind, to remember god has given them life and the ability to make the world a better place. In times of sadness look to him and praise him , in times of fear look to him and praise him, and in times of happiness praise him and thank him for everything. It’s easy to be hard on yourself while parenting but just remember the cornerstone of your life should be The Lord. Teach your kids not to point stare and make fun of kids who aren’t the same or have a disability but be brave and reach out a hand to that child and be there for them. To make a child smile instead of cry. To be the best you for everyone around you. To bring love and laughter into very room you walk in. To light up when things are dark. To give yourself to The Lord and let him guide you to being the most loving person you can be. Make life good for not just yourself but for those around you. Don’t gloat, don’t tease. Put yourself in other shoes and imagine how they feel and try to improve it if you can. Don’t be afraid to ask for help for yourself or for someone else. Be a leader not a follower enjoy life and enjoy it from the front of the pack. Don’t try to be like others always be uniquely you because that is perfection. Teach them that being the best they can be is enough they don’t need validation by anyone. God knows and sees all and will know there doing what’s right! Love them, teach them to love others. Teach them to make a stand if they believe in something and never back down. Teach them to always try to make good decisions, but if they do make a poor choice let them know you will be there for them through the repercussions. Let them know no matter what you will love them and they have a soft safe place to fall back into. My children are my life, my whole life. I try to build them each day into amazing humans who care about others, who thinks of not just themselves. I pray for them to have empathy and sympathize with others who may be less fortunate and if at all possible help that person in anyway possible. Praise them all the time when you see these things in your child. Praise the good choices and the love shown to others. When you see something that isn’t exactly what you had wished they had done use it as a learning experience. A child doesn’t learn even if disciplined unless they are talked to about it and made to understand the poor choice and the better alternative to that they should have chosen. Most of all as throughout this post just LOVE them and love yourself for doing your very best with them!!!
Being a bully is a choice, and one I teach my children to not make. My oldest daughter Jessica , who is in college now, while in high school always stepped up to defend and be kind to others. She was a straight A student, active in clubs and a cheerleader. One day her junior year the seniors in the communication/broadcast class planned a “prank” on another student and she caught wind of it and told teachers to get the pranked stopped. She didn’t care about being popular or liked, she cared about a young man getting hurt because others deemed him “different”. I am so extremely proud of her for her actions that day, and how she always tries to stick up for those who might be too scared to do so themselves.
My advice for raising good-hearted, kind, and compassionate children is to model that behavior in every aspect of your life. Give grace to others when they don’t “deserve” it. Be patient in your frustrations. Be kind when others hurt you and let you down. Stand up for what is right, with your head held high, even when you’re ridiculed. Let them see you be a light, even when you are in a valley. Keep your joy and give them something to aspire to – and pray for them until your last breath.
My advice for raising good-hearted, kind, and compassionate children is to model that behavior in every aspect of your life. Give grace to others when they don’t “deserve” it. Be patient in your frustrations. Be kind when others hurt you and let you down. Stand up for what is right, with your head held high, even when you’re ridiculed. Let them see you be a light, even when you are in a valley. Keep your joy and give them something to aspire to – and pray for them until your last breath.
You are enough as you are. Perfect in your imperfection.
I love yalls story. Truly two amazing people who follow their heart. I think everyone needed this read. ?