The Bully Pulpit

Last week, Dorothy Rodham, the mother of Hillary Clinton passed away. I never knew much about Hillary's mom, but the story of her life and Hillary's upbringing caught my eye. Dorothy was sent away from her parents, and raised by her grandparents, who treated her miserably. At the age of 14, Dorothy left home, and went to work as a domestic. She attended school while working, and received her high school diploma.

Eventually she married and raised Hillary and two other children. There was one day that young Hillary came home from school in tears because another girl had bullied her. Dorothy Rodham sent her back to the school the next day, giving Hillary permission to punch the bully. "You have to face things and show them you're not afraid," was what she told her daughter. Hillary stood up to the bully (not sure if she actually punched her or not), and lesson learned, Hillary never ran from a fight again.

It's a hard line for a parent, protecting your kids, and teaching your kids how to stand up for themselves. At our school, we have a bullying program, but it doesn't really teach the kids how to stand up for themselves, other than telling a teacher and a parent. Sometimes I think that's the right solution, but sometimes a kids needs to go through the battles, because life is full of battles.

Out of hardship comes real, spine-stiffening strength, but we parents work so hard to take away all the hardship and I'm not so sure that we haven't done too good a job of it. These past few weeks, I've been home with my mother, who had broken her hip. Mom is no spring chicken, but she's tough. Tougher than most, because she was raised on a farm, and my grandparents were right out of American Gothic.

My Grandparents

She went through her physical therapy and is back at home, alternating between a walker, a cane, and driving my dad crazy. I look at my Mom and think, "I only hope that I have that much strength." And then I look at my kids, and I worry that the strength-gene-pool is getting a little watery. I think I need to be tough, and teach my kids about hardship and hard work, and facing adversity. That's it! Today they clean the toilets.

What about you? Do you think people are losing their backbone? Do you think we're being too soft? Do you have a bullying program at your schools?

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