Glee Episode=Powerful

So I was watching the most recent episode of Glee and I must say they BROUGHT it.  I was weeping and crying so much.  I won't spoil the entire episode for anyone but I will say bullying is a serious issue. Clearly some people don't recognize the damage they are doing to others when they make jokes, laugh, and exclude them.  If you are a fan of Glee then you know they've addressed some of the issues gay teens’ experience, which includes bullying and intolerance.  Well in this episode they showed an extreme consequence of bullying...a kid attempted suicide.  Now I wasn't crying because I used to be a bully, although I may have partaken in some practices when I was younger (laughing and mocking contributes to the problem too), but I was crying because people actually feel so bad and alone that they want to end their life.  It makes me think of my nieces and nephews.  I wouldn't want them to feel this way or contribute to someone else feeling this way.  Sometimes kids really aren't thinking they just do.  It isn't until they get older that they see the wrong in their actions. 

My nephew is 12 years old and I believe he is at an age when children really get into issues like peer pressure, depression, etc.  I want him to know that he can talk to my siblings and me about anything.  Furthermore, I want him to recognize the strength in him.  He doesn't need validation from anyone else, and as such, he doesn't need to succumb to peer pressure.  Last, I want him to understand that bullying at any level does hurt and that he should stand up to those that think it is the cool thing to do.  He should befriend people that are different not exclude them because they are different.  My wanting to talk with him doesn't mean that he isn't already aware of any of these things nor does it mean I think he'll be perfect. But I'm acknowledging the severity of this issue.  Suicide amongst young people is real and becoming more prevalent issue in our society.  Therefore, I can't sit by and wait for events to happen.  We need to have a conversation.