One of my little charges told me that other girls don’t want to play with her and asked me to make them play with her. I told her, “When you ask people to play with you, they think something is wrong with you. If you want to play, just play. Do what you do. Most people will join you if you look like you’re having a good time.”
Kids are always telling me, “Such and such called me this.” I ask them, “Are you that? How does that hurt you?” I teach them the Sticks and Stones verse: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. I tell them to say, “My name is [ ] and I am like the sun. Nothing can stop me from shining.” I point to the sky as I state: “The sun shines no matter what. When you see clouds, the sun is still shining. We just can’t see it. Even when it is dark where we are, the sun is shining somewhere. The sun never ever stops shining.
Sometimes we don’t see the sun for whatever reason. People can be like clouds. Think of yourself as the sun. It appears that clouds are blocking you, but they are not. No matter what – clouds, rain, darkness – the sun always shines. If you constantly think of yourself as the sun, you will realize that, no matter what people do or say, the truth that is you and the reality that is you will never stop shining. If you always believe that, then you’ll always act like the sun and nothing can diminish your brilliance.
The earth rotates around the sun. Sooner or later, a spot that’s in darkness will always return to being within the sun’s rays. You have to be steadfast like the sun. You have to wait until the earth or people or circumstances and events and situations rotate around to you. You must remember that your brilliance and your joy are always there, no matter what is going on outside of you.”
Because they are little kids, I sing and dance and act silly as I tell them this. They laugh, but they’ll remember one day.