Andy said, “It’s too bad that you had to embarrass David. I am sure it is hard enough
for him to get his words out, but then when you laughed at him, you made it worse.”
The boys snickered and began to walk away.
Andy said, “You need to apologize to David.”
One boy yelled back, “And what if we don’t?”
Andy said that if they didn’t, they would lose friends. Not only would David not be
their friend, but neither would Andy nor the rest of the class. Andy looked around, and
the children in the class were all looking at him. They began clapping and patting both
David and Andy on the back.
They all shouted, “Yes, that’s right! We don’t like bullies
who make fun of others. So if you want us to be friends with you, you better apologize
to David.”
History has examples of heroes who changed the world for the better–Heroes who had strong character traits such as the courage to stand up against injustice and oppression. Imagine a world without courage, a world where men and women remained silent when their fellow human beings were suffering and facing injustice?
Let us not forget the words of Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. He was once asked how the world remained silent when millions were systematically murdered. Weisel said that he tried to keep the memory alive because if we forgot, “we are guilty and accomplices when we knew what was happening and remained silent.” During his acceptance speech, Wiesel eloquently said: “And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere … One person … one person of integrity can make a difference …”
How do we help prevent or stop such atrocities and injustice? It starts with character. Heraclitus said that character is destiny. While the gift of character is free, the rewards of good character are worth more than millions. The lessons of character will empower children to be respected adults, good citizens, and leaders with vision. Good character will allow children to be guided by conscience and to do the right thing for the right reasons. While we teach our children that silence is golden, character will teach them to never be silent when they see suffering or injustice.
It is profound to know that people can turn their backs and ignore those who are suffering because they are personally unaffected. I hope that all children are taught the importance of Wiesel’s words.
What Parents Can Do
- We can engage with our children and talk about character and why it matters
- We can share stories with our children about people who display courage, integrity and other good character traits and start meaningful conversations about challenges we may have had at school and at work.
- We can teach our children character through our own example.
Our children are the future. The world needs heroes with vision to lead others to create a better world.
Remember, someone is always watching and hoping to see inspiring acts. They are hoping so they can have the courage to be inspiring too. The world needs heroes. Let’s start cultivating what the world needs now.
I invite you all to engage in this important topic of character. How can we incorporate character lessons into teachable moments? What do you think is the most important trait? Spread the message and let’s help kids all over the world be heroes and members of The Hero Club.
#Character plus #GreatTraits equals #Hero
#TheHeroClub
Ferah Ozbek is the author of The Hero Club, 52 Weekly Stories to Share with your Children about Courage, Compassion, Honesty and other Character Traits that will Inspire Kids to be Heroes. The Hero Club is comprised of fifty-two character lessons told through the stories of six elementary school children who display the best character we should all aspire to. Learn more about the Hero Club by going to her website, ferahozbek.com/hero or send her an email at ferah@ferahozbek.com.