BULLY: A Must See

If you have kids, then this movie is a must see.

I'm blessed with the ability to attend my kids' field trips. But due to the subject matter of this movie and understanding very well the emotionally charged content behind it, I gave my son the option of going with his classmates without me. I was a bit shocked and very proud when he looked at me and said that out of all the trips, this is the one he wanted me to be on with him.

Watch the trailer here:

Opening Scene: a bus full of kids. Nothing really stands out. Only the thought of knowing exactly where this movie is going and waiting for something to happen. And then you hear the voice of a man speaking about his son. His smile. His happiness. His pain. And then you notice he's talking about his son in the past tense.

His son, Tyler, committed suicide. Age 17.

Tyler. When he spoke his son's name, it sent shivers down my spine and that burning sensation in my eyeballs. I closed them quickly, and before I had a chance, my Tyler took my hand.

A Mother's Day card from Alex, one of the boys bullied in this film.

This movie was personal to me on so many levels. When I was growing up, I was a buck-toothed, knobby kneed, teacher's pet. I was a teacher's pet because I was abused at home and I needed to be someone special, to anyone who cared.

Needless to say, that didn't make me very popular. And if that wasn't bad enough, I had a twin sister. A gorgeous twin sister with whom I was always compared to. She was always the prettier one. And because we were so broke down from a terrible home life, we made pretty great targets for bullies.

There was one incident on Halloween. I was jumped and literally beat down while my sister was tied to a tree. If memory serves me right, it was the week after we were both beat by several kids in our elementary school bathroom. The reason? We were too ugly and if we were going show our face in public, then we needed to be taught a lesson. Yup. That sure did wonders for my self-esteem. And they were issues I carried with me straight to adult-hood.

Fast forward to many, many years later... about the time I'm sending my kids to school. You can imagine how my heart broke for my oldest son to learn that the biggest kid in his class -held back 2 years already- had decided to target my boy who happened to be the smallest in his entire grade! I tried to let him handle it. Then I went to the teacher who's hands were tied by the principle. And going to the principle was a joke in itself. So what do you do? What can you do? You have a voice. And it's more powerful than you know.

BE THE DIFFERENCE.

Aside from being a plethora of resources, this movie shares the story of many sides of bullying, from the precious boys that took their lives, to a bully himself. From the unequipped administration, to the denial of law enforcers. From the kid struggling to learn the difference between being a punching bag and having an authentic friendship, to the girl who is determined to rise above it all. And the heartbroken parents who learn too late about the hell their kids are going through on a daily basis.

I will warn you, it is a documentary filming raw and unscripted events as they unfold in the daily lives of several students. The language may be offensive but let's take the sugar coating off. Bullies don't use candy-coated accolades. This is real life. The reality of it is quite disturbing. This is how they really talk. And this is what derogatory, degrading, ruthless bullying sounds like. I only warn you so that you can prepare your kids ahead of time.

If you get a chance or have already seen this movie, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

♥,
Sharon

Additional Resources:
http://thebullyproject.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bullymovie

To find out where this movie is playing in your area, visit: http://thebullyproject.com/bullyticketingseefilm.html

World Travels, 20-mile hikes & Turning 80

You read that correctly. 20-mile hikes, not 20 mile hikes. And if that wasn't impressive, did I mention her 10-12 mile solo hikes in Spain last year - following the Santiago de Compstela pilgrim's trail in the north?

Today, I'm writing about a woman named Lucia. 

                   

Last week, I accepted a photography job to cover for another wonderful photographer who had to back out at the last minute. It was for an 80th surprise party for Lucia. First of all, I love photographing ALL types of events but I normally don't post birthday party images on my facebook/blog. BUT, this one is different. This was truly a privilege for me to participate in celebrating the life of this amazing woman by her adoring family and a room full of wonderful friends. 

Just to be clear, I don't get emotional. Like, ever! I only mention this because I actually had to put my camera back to my face just to hide my watery eyes. 

What could evoke such an emotion?

Listening to her sons talk about their mother. 

Not only did they share about the "adventures they put her though", something about bombs... among other things... but they shared the very heart of their mother. 

And then I heard it. 
The best compliment I've ever heard given to any mother. 

One of her sons praised his wife. He went on about how wonderful she was. How beautiful she was. He loved her generosity and sincerity. He adored her hard work, energy, and genuineness. But most of all, he loved her heart. But why would he speak about his wife on the day everyone is honoring his mother?

Get your tissues ladies...

Because, he thanked his mother for setting the standard on what a woman is suppose to be like. And then he went on the say that he loved his wife and felt she was a reflection of the woman he adored the most... that's right: his mother.

I'm a wedding photographer, for crying out loud!!! I hear mushy stuff all the time!

So why did this choke me up? Because it made me want to be that type of mother. To raise my boys without losing my sense of adventure. To love them without smothering them. To bring them up right while being just. To discipline them sternly but love them fiercely. For them to never doubt how much they mean to me. And most of all, I want to be an example of what a Godly woman looks like... and even when I fail, I'll never stop trying. 

And, just in time for Mother's Day...

   

Preparing or Repairing?

Last Friday, I had the awesome privilege of photographing The Chick-Fil-A Leadercast via live-feed. Hosted by the Central Oregon Coast Association, this conference featured dynamic speakers such as Andy Stanley, Tim Tebow, & John Maxwell, among many other world renown speakers. As the Official Photographer, I thought I was only going to work that day and didn't realize I was actually going to participate in this event. I can't even begin to describe the personal breakthroughs I've experienced which has me re-evaluating not only my business but my role as a christian, wife, mother, & business owner. Here are a few key notes that spoke most to me:

ARE YOU PREPARING OR REPAIRING?

That's one of the many introspective questions asked during the day. And it was a question that made me shrug in my chair. Following that, came the statement: The secret to your success is determining your daily agenda. You can imagine how I felt when I realized that I don't even have a daily agenda. Aside from the everyday get up, get the kids ready for school, check the facebook & other social media, I don't have a set dinner time or even set devotional time. The truth is: the only times that are set in my house are the time we wake the kids up for school, the time they get home & the their bed time... and of course their scheduled practices and game times. Everything else falls into the "get it done when you can" category. Which brings me to the next key:

IF YOU RAN YOUR BUSINESS LIKE YOU RAN YOUR HOUSE, 

WOULD YOU BE SUCCESSFUL?

You just read my above schedule, do you really need me to elaborate?
Short Anwer: No

Long Answer: No, really.

THE CHOICE YOU MAKE, MAKES YOU

We all know this, right? But do we really know it?! Like, the choice to walk away from jobs that compromise the core values of our beliefs? Or how about the time we spend cultivating our skills, growing our network, and expanding our business at the cost of our family? These are not just business decisions. They directly reflect our character. And I want mine to be that of a well-balanced and authentic woman, devoted wife, and the baseball team mom who runs a successful business. In that order. 

Needless to say, this conference has given me a lot to think about. And on that note, I will leave you with my favorite quote of that day:

IF YOU CAN RAISE THE INTEGRITY & CHARACTER AROUND YOU,

THEN YOU ARE A TRUE LEADER.