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 know a lot of Mommas were told this, but I was always told when I was growing up to lead by example. If you practice what you preach and teach our children the way you want then to treat others it will stay with them as they grow. " The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice". I am by no means close to perfect. I ho remind myself daily to be better; a better mom, better wife, a better friend, daughter, sister, a better me. If my 3 kids see me trying to be better, kind, brave, whatever, it will inspire them to do the same. I love my kiddos too much to raise them without knowing kindness, bravery, and love. I want nothing but the best for them and their future.
I have had many discussions with my kids about being kind. I always have them imagine if they were the child that was being hurt or made fun of how would they feel, and how they can help that child. My kids all have a soft heart and have stood up for others when need be. I also think as parents making kids aware of feelings and how our actions affect others makes a big difference. My 6 year old loves to open the door for people. Bee will walk into a convince store and I look back and Chase is still standing at the door helping people. I keep needy bags in the car with snacks, Gatorade, a clean shirt and a few other things that we can hand out easily from the car when we see someone needs a little help. I think doing all this helps my kids be aware of others and how giving no matter how small brightens someone’s else’s day.
Respect others and their belongings. It’s as simple as that. If you can’t find something to like about a person you can at least respect that they are a person and they have been put on this earth for a reason. You may not know why…heck they may not even know why but don’t try to figure it out and don’t try to change them. Just move along. At the end of your life I know God isn’t going to ask you why they did what they did. He will ask you why you did what you did so make sure you have an answer for that.
Thank you for your charming clothes and your uplifting words! Beautiful!
^^^I’m adding in that this is what we tell our children and hope that they will grasp sooner than later :)
Its always easy to tell others words to live by. We say them, yet sometimes we really never adhere to them ourselves. Thank you for giving us this opportunity. Because regardless of winning, I want to use this as a reminder to be patient, take a deep breath, and as Elsa would say “Let it Go” :) I remember reading somewhere once that Motherhood is a CHOICE you make every day. You put your childs needs ahead of your own. And you first and foremost teach them to love, and to forgive. Isn’t is funny how we always preach to our kids to apologize, and say they are sorry when they do something wrong? But it takes us forever, or a whole lot of courage to apologize for our mistakes. Never go to bed angry. Never let someone put hate in your heart. And to always love others regardless of race, gender,or sexuality. One phrase I always remember my mother telling me growing up “Jesus loves even the drunk in the gutter”. I want my daughter to know that phrase, and know how important believing that is. Because no matter what we do, no matter how many sins we create…at the end of the day, not only do I love my daughter…but I want her to know Jesus does too. :)