Here’s Budsie, wearing my pink Afghanistan shirt in support of Anti-Bullying Day. Lucky Budsie – he’s never been the victim of bullying. Unless you count that time, back when he was super wee, when his pacifier kept falling out of his mouth, teasing him something dreadful. But I don’t.

I was never bugged much in school. I ran with a bunch of nerds for most of my childhood (until somewhere around the beginning of high school when I switched to the artsy, smoke-a-lot-of-pot, heavy-on-the angst group) but they were the kind of nerds that no one bothered with. I was teased mercilessly when I cut my hair all off in Grade 8, and that hurt, but it did look ridiculous so what could I do? Oh and I managed to get the nickname ‘Goat’ at some point in middle school and it stuck, most unfortunately. However, by high school it was friends who called me this, not enemies. So while I hated high school, for the limitations placed on my learning, for the asinine behaviour of teenage girls who regularly drew their eyebrows on, and for the absolutely ridiculous teachers I managed to get stuck with, relatively speaking, I did ok. I would never go back – you could not pay me enough to go back – but I did ok.

The same cannot be said for my sister. My sister, the smartest and prettiest girl I know, was bugged A LOT. For her hair, her glasses, her everything. Worse, I had times when people from her grade (she’s two years younger) came to me and asked what was wrong with her/why was she such a dork/etc. To which I said “kindly eff off.” Lady Heather found solace in the band room, thank God, but not enough was done to make her life easier. All this before online bullying was even possible. I cannot even imagine.

Kids can be the most amazing beings, but also the most hurtful. I really hope Budsie doesn’t get bullied, but more than this, I hope he doesn’t bully anyone else. I hope I raise a boy who is good and kind and who helps those who are weaker or less fortunate than he is. I hope he wears pink to school on this day every year and tells people why:

Because bullying isn’t cool.