My heart is breaking in ways I can’t even put into words. My 13-year-old son, my sweet, innocent, loving boy, went to summer camp hoping to make new friends, have fun, and create happy memories. But instead, he experienced something no child should ever have to endure.
He was bullied.
Not just a little teasing, not just a few mean words—true, heartless cruelty. They stole his money. They took his wristband, the one that allowed him to play paintball, something he was so excited for. They called him awful names, told him he was dumb. But it didn’t stop there. They told him he has no friends, that no one likes him, that he is worthless. And then, the most horrifying words of all—they told him they would kill his family.
Can you imagine? A child, my child, hearing those words? Feeling that fear, that loneliness, that pain?
And yet, despite all of this, despite everything they put him through, do you know what he said? He told me he still had a good time. That breaks me even more because it means he is so used to mistreatment, so used to being overlooked or misunderstood, that he has learned to find joy even in the midst of cruelty. He is so strong, so pure, so full of love that he refuses to let this define him. But I can’t just sit silently.
If you ever met him, you would see the kindness in his heart. He is gentle, funny, smart in ways that people don’t always see. He has a heart so big, a soul so pure. He loves unconditionally. And yet, the world isn’t always kind back.
I am asking—begging—all of my friends to share this, to like it, to show him that there are good people in this world. That he is loved. That he does have friends. That there are people who see him, who appreciate him, who value him for exactly who he is.
No child deserves this. No parent should have to write this. But I won’t let his story go unheard. Please, if you care at all, show him that he is not alone. Let’s drown out the cruelty with love. 💔💙