Our school counselor was giving a lesson on kindness and anti-bullying.
Counselor: “If someone were to call you fat, how would you feel?”
5th Grader: “Well, if it were medieval times, it would be a compliment, but not anymore.”
They are the highway betta fish
angry – ready to fight
acting on a baffling death wish
looking to find a bite
outrage is a mirror to fear
but what is there to dread?
perpetual thoughts prompt a sneer
on these lawless hotheads
they won’t stop, those rude road ragers
they’re projecting their mood
when there’s no need to brood
their perspective is skewed
I’ve published it.
On Amazon.com and a few other outlets, you can now purchase Esther, Mia and the Stars! It will say “Spanish version” but it’s in both English and Spanish, every page.
Esther and Mia are best friends. Esther must come up with a creative solution when she discovers that Mia is being bullied. Together, they overcome this painful event and tell their story in English and Spanish.
It’s imperfect, but it was a labor of love, illustrated by my daughters with a message of empowerment for children who are experiencing bullying.
Thank you to my blogging community! You provided much-needed support and encouragement along the way.
I finally received my proof for Esther, Mia and The Stars today!
It looks really good. It’s not perfect. But it’s a labor of love and I’m going to publish it. Two illustrations need to be replaced and I have to figure out how to center the ISBN code on the inner cover…but that’s it!
My friend, Sierra, translated the English to Spanish and told me it was a very fun process and that she learned a lot. I felt the same way. The process was extremely satisfying. My daughters loved making the illustrations at first, but then became self-conscious and self-critical. I hope the fact that I encouraged them to complete it will impress upon them the importance of crossing the finish line.
I’ve written a children’s book. My daughters are my illustrators.
I’ve written the story.
I’m working on formatting it for publishing.
It’s about a girl who is bullied and how her best friend and teacher help her school turn it around.
Here is one of the illustrations:
After the illustrations and stories were done, I just let it sit…for months. I need to take the next steps of getting it published.
Writing about it on my blog will make me accountable. Tell me to do it. Yell at me! I need a push.
1 [boo
l-ee] Show IPA noun, plural bul·lies.
1. a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates
smaller or weaker people.
2. Archaic. a man hired to do violence.
*www.dictionary.com
the action(s). We (society) are more apt to think of ways to prevent bullying or solve the problem if we understand the cause and include it in the definition.
I was relieved, but wondered, “Is she really OK?” I had been asking her all week if there was something wrong, she hadn’t talked about her friends in a couple weeks. She said everything was fine. This is not like her, to hide such things from me. With the Internet, smart phones and tablets, it’s all too easy to carry on several conversations at once, even destructive ones. We must remain diligent in our efforts to fight bullying, but it has to start with the bullies. Parents need to be crystal clear in what is acceptable and what is not. One student has apologized, but her did not communicate anything to us or our daughter. She simply allowed her daughter to say, “I’m sorry.” As I told Ava, “Actions speak louder than words.” We shall see how things go.
