My daughter has expressed for months the havoc you reap on her little heart each week. You have physically backed her into corners with your intense stature—I think to confirm to her you are in charge. You have told her to go away when she has approached you in kindness, you have whispered to others to exclude her, you have made her feel unwelcome and unloved in so many ways.
But somehow my daughter presses on to win your approval.
Her dad and I have told her that we need to pray for you, something in your life must be sad and you choose to release that hurt on to others. My heart truly aches for you with a mother’s love, I know something in your life is causing you despair because hurting people hurt others. I know your parents are not intentionally raising you to be a bully, I know God did not make you this way, but your behavior is full of anger and behind that I anger I know you have sorrow. We pray for you every night, we pray for God to heal whatever is going on in your life that is causing you pain. My daughter has taken this prayer earnestly, she has taken it into action. On her own she initiated a plan called Operation cheer up “Lucy” — my daughter laid out her plan saying if she shows you kindness every day that eventually you will not be sad and then you won’t be unkind to her any more. I was both proud and heartbroken at my daughter’s plan. I know you need kindness shown to you, but I also know there is something deeper in your life that my little one can’t solve for you.
For a few weeks my daughter came home stating her plan was in full effect but not yet working, you were still unleashing mayhem on my girl’s heart but she never showed any sign of condemnation, she never had any tone of vengeance in her voice when she continued to tell us your unkindness had not wavered, instead my daughter was even more eager to make sure to show you kindness, my daughter was more fervent than ever to put a smile on your face.
Last night I came home to my daughter clutching a business card, playing with it, reading it over and over, she was clutching this card as if it were her prized possession. I asked to see what she had and it was simply a restaurant’s business card. I asked her where it came from and she stated you gave it to her today. You gave my daughter a business card—likely a restaurant your mom or dad works at or owns. My daughter said you gave her that card as a gift. She played with the card for hours, never letting it leave her side, she set it on her nightstand at bedtime, this small 4×2 piece of paper would be just a card to most people, something I likely would have thrown away, but to my daughter this card was a sign her plan was showing success, a sign your heart was healing, a sign that her prayers are being answered and that God is good and that God is real.
We will continue to pray that God heals the sadness in your life, we will pray you feel love from everyone around you, we pray that the hurting stops so you stop hurting others, we pray you too will see God in action, through the changes around you, through the light of my daughter, who no matter how you react, my girl will continue her plan for Operation cheer up “Lucy” each day as long as she is in your life.
(Note: the child’s name has been changed)