Girl Uses Butt Selfie To Prove Bullies Wrong

I stumbled across a post on my Facebook feed that put a huge smile on my face today. A mom was sharing a story of her daughter being bullied by some peers at her school. The way her daughter responded to her bullies could teach us all a bit about knowing our self worth, knowing when we’re right, and knowing how to stand in our skin and say, “This is me.”

Daryl Lynn O’Connell was understandably upset when her teenage daughter Carleigh told her some peers had made fun of her body shape in a very public way. They inscribed the words “Carleigh’s Ass” on a big rock at the beach. Carleigh reacted in a way that we all could learn from. She posed over the rock and posted it to her Instagram account:

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Carleigh has a beautiful body – but that’s hardly the point. She laughed the stupid prank off and in doing so totally took away the power these bullies hoped to have. Here’s how her mom responded:

So for me as the mom….I type this with tears in my eyes. Not tears of sadness or anger for I will never give anyone that is mean that much power. Tears of joy knowing that my daughter can face negativity with a smile and sense of humor. This will take her far in life. No perfect report card, high test score, athletic race or award could top the pride I have today.

 

You should feel a lot of pride, mom, because you have raised and amazing daughter. Even in a world that sometimes seems intent on telling our daughters “you are not enough” – she knows how beautiful she is. She’s inspiring me – a forty-year-old feminist. You are a bad ass, Carleigh. Your strength will take you far. And this message – the first on her mother’s thread – brought an even bigger smile to my face:

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(photo: Facebook)

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