Laureen Harper wants you to wear pink on Wednesday
Tomorrow, I will be wearing pink.
I will be wearing pink to show my support for Canadian teens across our country who have been bullied, beaten up and, beaten down. Whose wounds are real, yet invisible to the human eye.
I will be wearing pink in support of tremendous Canadian organizations like the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and The Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity (formerly Jer’s Vision). Organizations that work tirelessly to combat all forms of bullying.
And I will be wearing pink to remind our young people that they are not alone. That their lives matter. That they are deeply loved.
Last year, it was my honour to wear pink and attend an International Day of Pink event hosted by Jer’s Vision. The stories we heard were moving. The atmosphere in the room was electrifying. The messages of hope for those in crisis rang so loud and clear that they stayed with me long after the event was over.
We heard from brave parents who told heartbreaking stories of their teens who, out of desperation, took their lives because they believed there was nowhere to go. We also heard from successful business people and TV personalities who shared their own stories of bullying, victimization and ultimately perseverance. Each story was infused with these messages: Youth in crisis are not alone. Everyone has the power to turn their experience from one of hate to one of hope
Now, I recognise that it’s so easy for us adults to say to our children, “It gets better” and “Hang in there”. We’ve lived long enough to know this to be true. But, sometimes parents aren’t the only people in a teen’s life who need to communicate this. Sometimes, what it takes is a classroom, or a sports team, or a school club to come together in solidarity and wear pink once a year to remind their peers in crisis that they belong.
So, tomorrow, I will be wearing pink. I hope all Canadians, especially young Canadians, join me. Because one small act of kindness can help someone realize they are not alone. And one simple action can show them that they are stronger than they think.
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Laureen Harper 4/7/2015 |
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