Bullies & Babies

Today at lunch my friend Mary and I were exiting the dining hall when we ran into one of the cutest babies at the World Centre.  Half-Filipino, Half-Norweigian, 100% happy, this baby is something else.  We walked over to say hi and play with him, and his dad explained that he had a bit of a cold right now and was teething so his usual smiley demeanor was a little harder to come by.  We did our best, and soon enough he smiled.  So then we smiled and got excited and even more animated, and then all of a sudden he had a little giggle fit.  And that was it.  Mary, Nava, Daddy, and Baby, all giggling uncontrollably.  And there was something about the nature of our giggling that was unique.  When we finally stopped we all looked at each other and smiled warmly, and one of us commented that there was something about the joy that comes from being around a happy baby that is like anything else. 

And just after that I found this wonderfully heart warming and AWESOME article on the New York Times about Fighting Bullies With Babies.  Here's an excerpt, but, seriously, read the whole thing.  It will warm your heart!

When they talk about protecting kids in schools, they talk about gun shields, cameras, lights, but never about the internal environment. But safe is not about the rules – it’s about how the youngsters feel inside.