After one of the worst school days ever, a tearful Johnny ran  home from class and went to the only place he knew he could go  to – straight to his grandmother’s house.

Despite the immense age gap, Johnny has always felt at ease when talking to his grandmother.  She was a rational and loving individual who always seemed to be able to put things in perspective for Johnny.

“What’s the matter?” Asked the apprehensive grandmother.

“In the last month, I have somehow managed to lose 43 friends at school” replied Johnny as he reached up and hugged his grandmother around the waist.

“Relax, my dear.  Explain to me what it is that happened.”

As Johnny walked to the living room, and laid himself down on the sofa, his tears began to dry.  His grandmother sat beside him and began to listen.

“At the beginning of the month, I was one of the three most popular kids in school and everyone knew it.  I had friends from various ethnic backgrounds and from almost every region of the country.  My group of friends were urban and suburban.  They were white, brown, and black too.  Some were gay, others were straight.  Even in terms of religion, I befriended the Jews, the Christians, and the Muslims too.  I have always been someone that embraced the differences in people, because I truly believe that it is those differences that truly made my group of friends so dynamic and interesting.”

“Okay,” responded grandmother.  “So what happened?”

Johnny perked up instantly.

“What happened Grandma, is that I screwed up.  In total, 43 of my friends have decided to ditch me and they have formed new friendships with the other two popular kids in school.”

“But, how did this happen?” Asked the worried elder.

Johnny looked away suddenly, paused for a few moments, and then finally spoke.  “You see, grandma… over the last few years when issues began to arise on the school playground, I failed to stand up for my friends and my values.  I let down the people who were dearest to me and I took them all for granted.”

After a few moments of hesitation, Johnny continued…

“There was the time when Jackson, a kid who is constantly teased at school for being a little bit more girly than the other boys.   One day he was being bullied by a group of students and I saw it happening, but I failed to stop it.  I knew it wasn’t fair that he was being treated differently, but it was easier to ignore it and just walk away.”

Grandmother crossed her arms and continued to listen.

“Then there was this other time when Lisa, one of the smartest girls at school, was sent to the principal’s office because she defended a controversial idea in class.  She believed her opinion to be true, and the teacher disagreed with her.  Lisa, in front of the whole class tried to explain herself.  In fact, most of the class was on her side and we agreed with her.  She was speaking rationally, but no one stood up for her or her opinions.”

At this point, grandma reached for her face, took off her eyeglasses and dropped them gently on the table next to her.  Johnny continued to ramble…

“… and then there was the new kid that no one really talks to.  In fact, I don’t really know her name.  She dresses really different from the rest of the girls in class.  And at lunch, she sits alone.  I could have changed that on several occasions, grandma, but I was too afraid of what the others would think.”

Grandmother shifted her body towards her grandchild and placed her wrinkled fingers on her chin.

“Go on child,” she said calmly.

“I screwed up,” Johnny confessed.

“It’s a shame, but it’s true.  I have become way too comfortable in the thinking that friendships and relationships don’t require work or effort.  I have disregarded the cries for help from the people around me who have been genuinely struggling.  I have remained silent when I should have spoken up for the truth.  I have concentrated for far too long on making myself appear better and different instead of making life easier for the people around me. Grandma, I don’t know how to fix this.”

Slowly, yet confidently, the elderly lady began to rise from her chair.  Her face was glowing with a large smile.  She walked over to a dresser on the other side of the room and began searching through a full drawer.

From the sofa, Johnny was able to just barely make out his grandmother’s actions.  She was holding one single photo and a red pen.  Carefully she began to write and then placed the photo into a white envelope.

With the smile still plastered across her face, she gave the envelope to her grandson.

“Take this and go home,” the wise old woman said.  “You are going to be just fine.”

Johnny got up, kissed his grandmother, grabbed his shoes and walked out not fully understanding what just happened.  As he walked away from his grandmother’s house, he had no idea what to expect.  He quickly ripped open the envelope and stopped walking to examine the contents.

Inside, was a picture of a much younger Johnny, at birth.  And on the other side of the photo it read:

It only takes one person, with courage, to make a majority.  Return to your roots.  

• < Prev
• Next >