Kidnapping her Heart

Dear Reader: MY CHALLENGE FOR YOU :)

Dear Readers,

I’m writing this to all my fellow readers out there :) I guess this is kind of like an advice column. Kinda sorta. It’s not exactly a column so I guess it’s technically just advice :)

At first I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about, there are just so many topics I want to cover. There are so many things I want to share with you guys, to tell you guys, to advise, and I want to tell you about a program called Rachel’s Challenge.

“I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.” This is quoted by Rachel Joy Scott, a wonderful young girl who was one of the first victims in the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. 

Some background on this massacre is that the shootings were the actions of two students who were both victims of bullying. They were bullied every single day at school to their breaking point. Each day for an entire year, they watched one movie and one movie only, a movie about war (I’m not sure what the title of the film is.) They only played games where people were brutally killed and their inspiration was Adolf Hitler. The day of the massacre, the two boys stormed into school and shot down everyone who ever gave them trouble, the jocks who ever made fun of them, the girls who turned them down, the people who constantly teased them. They shot them all while unfortunately taking out innocent bystanders on the way. Rachel Scott sadly was one of the victims who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

You see, Rachel was a girl who knew no limits of kindness, she was literally an angel on earth. She was kind to everybody and even saved a a classmate’s life. His name is Eric and he was a social outcast at school. People would make fun of him daily due to his speech difficulties and he hated life and everyone in it. All except for Rachel. Everyday, she would greet him with a smile on her face. Although a simple ‘Hi’ isn’t much, it meant the world to him. We take ‘hellos’ for granted but it actually saved Eric’s life. In an interview, he stated how much he wanted to take his own life, how miserable everyday was for him. But Rachel got him through it, with her kindness.

After her death, her family and friends established an organization titled ‘Rachel’s Challenge’ where it challenges people to be kind and have compassion towards others. “Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer.” Today, hundreds of schools across the country support Rachel’s Challenge (both my high school and middle school included) and her family and friends travel the country talking about it.

Last year, my school had the honor of hosting one of Rachel’s friends as a guest speaker and let me tell you, not a single person spoke during the video of the shooting and during his speech. Not one person. Not even those loud, obnoxious kids. Not one. Why? Because the video was intensely deep and the speech was moving. I’ll be honest too, I was the one working the projector showing the clip and I almost cried when I saw the video. It was that serious.

Physiologists also concluded that many school shootings occur from bully victims. Perhaps if Rachel had spoken to the two shooters sometime in their life, the massacre wouldn’t have occurred. (Sadly they were older so she never saw them around campus in general) If those two boys weren’t bullied, none of it would ever happen.

I guess my point is, please try taking Rachel’s challenge. Start a chain reaction of kindness. Make a difference, take the initiate to be a better person! It all starts with you! You don’t have to go out and start a charity, you can start small, at home and at school. Be kind, be nice, and think before you speak. I know how you feel, how overrated this may seem, but it goes a long way. Bullying isn’t petty guys, it can kill. You know how many statistics there are about kids taking their life from depression due to bullying? A lot. 

I and in honor of Rachel Scott, challenge you, to take the initiative, even if it’s just for one day, to please please be genuinely kind to someone whether it’s sitting with the new kid at lunch or just helping a friend with homework. Because kindness goes a long way, take action. Make a difference in the world.

Think I’m making this up? I dare you, to look up Rachel’s Challenge online. 

Please also join her facebook page, and please consider starting a Rachel’s Challenge in your own school. Don’t just be inspired, BE the inspiration! START the spark! As cheesy as it all sounds, it’s true. Find the kindness in your heart to make a difference. Bullying isn’t cool, so be a change. Have integrity when you do this, be honest with yourself, ask yourself, ‘Was I genuinely nice to at least one person today?’ Make the future brighter for everyone guys cause you can change a life.

Please please please feel free to share your stories whether it’s about bullying or making a difference in the comments section :) I honestly would love to read them and I really hope you take Rachel’s Challenge into consideration!

So in the words of Disney, send it on, make a wave, and we can change the world one friend at a time :)

Carpe Diem :)

- Kristy

Thank you for reading guys, I really appreciate it! Rachel is a big inspiration in my life and I wanted to share her story with you! Please take the time to be kind and compassionate, I can promise you it will change someones life for the better big or small :) 

Also, if you liked this whole ‘Dear Reader thing’, please let me know, I’m thinking about writing weekly little letters or whatever thingys you call this you know? Like mini advice columns or just short stories if you get what I’m saying. Thanks :) 

DON'T FORGET!!!! NEXT CHAPTER OF KIDNAPPING HER HEART IS POSTED! :D