Dianne. You Are Remembered

Today is what I call a Dianne Day. It’s a day that I like to remember someone that made a huge impact in my life. Dianne was my cousin. She grew up in Arkansas but would go visit the Philippines every summer. Dianne was one of the kindest, most forgiving people I knew.
She first started getting bullied in grade school, being freakishly taller than most kids, clumsy, nonathletic, she was different, strange, odd. She told me she litterly dont talk to anyone. She often wondered why people resort to bullying. I dont understand it myself and I never will. Looking back I realize I that she probably missed out on everything that made childhood fun like friends, parties, excursion, sports. Well, not everything, she became a prolific reader. Her Mom told me she’d spend hours alone by herself reading . Every once in a while punctuated by terrifying episodes of kids taunting her.

‘’Someone once told me I have a face people like to punch. I had teachers join in on the bullying, it seemed like it was catching on or something. I used to get called names quite often, but I was so young , I never really took it in and let it affect me much because I never really understood what they meant when they would say horrible things about me.’’ She told me once. I laughed and told her it’s not true and to just shrug it off. She must’ve spent a long time believing that. I never really validated the severity of her bullying because I’m from the Philippines and bulliying is not as severe here as it is in the US.
She walked like a hunchback and had severe social anxiety, had a phobia of groups, especially of groups of boys or girls, they were always the worst.
Sometimes I wish I could go back and get revenge on everyone who hurt her, but the reality is they were just kids and they were just being human. She was different, beautifully so and as a species we try to attack that. Dianne took her life January 8, 2007. When I heard the news I felt like someone punch a hole through my chest.
Whenever I see someoene being bullied, I feel like I have the moral obligation to defend them, because I know how they feel. Some people commit suicide everyday due to bullying.
It’shorrible, if you read this and you bully people you won't get your comeuppence, you'll just grow up and perhaps regret it and have to deal with the actions and probably support the damaged people you help create and if youre bullied I have no advice for you, because I can't really see what I could have done differently to change it. Please be strong. I know how difficult it is but there is nothing wrong with you and you will see that once youre older. I just want you to put down your head and study and remember that these people are only a part of your life for such a short amount of time. You are going to be okay, don't let them affect you.
I've found that people are more inclined to make ridicule those who hide what they are rather than being what they are. If they do make fun of you for being who you are, screw them. Don't allow them to dictate your life. Live your own life and be proud of it.

We all have our stories about how we were bullied, and what we did to overcome it and how it ultimately made us who we are today. But I wondered why not make an ode to our individuality, an ode to us? We may all share a similar experience, but we're all unique; Why not embrace it? I'm not asking you to make any revolutionary actions or reinvent the wheel; just be proud of who you are and press on because It'll get better.