A Cruel Letter, A Kind Response
When 11-year-old Brooke Dalton discovered a letter from a bully tucked inside her backpack, she chose not to let it bring her down. Instead, she stayed positive and responded with kindness.
A 6th grader at Rincon Middle School in Escondido, California, Brooke has faced more challenges than most kids her age. For nearly four years, her family has been moving in and out of homelessness, living in motels, their van, and currently, an RV. After school one day, she found the cruel note, apparently written by someone aware of her situation.
“I felt very upset inside because we just started the school year. I don’t know why I would get a note like this; it’s not like they know me that much”, Brooke said.
Cruel Words Meant to Hurt
The letter insulted her appearance, called her names, accused her of having “ebola”, and even said they hoped she would die. It was signed, “someone who can afford more than you”.
“How can people be so cruel to people who haven’t even done anything?” Brooke wondered. “I just want to ask them, ‘Why did you have to give this to me?’ But I’m also kind of grateful, because now I can do the right thing with it and help make sure other kids don’t get notes like this”, she added.
A Mother’s Strength and Love
Despite the pain, Brooke admires her mother’s strength and hard work.
“I thought that was actually very personal because my mom tries super hard to get enough money for us by working; she literally is doing two jobs”, Brooke shared.
“We have a lot of our own little personal hardships going on”, her mother said. “That was almost evident, you know, that the person who wrote that letter knew”.
Turning Hurt Into Hope
Although the experience was difficult at first, Brooke decided not to let anger define her response. Instead, she turned it into a message of kindness and resilience, hoping to inspire others facing bullying.
On the family van that takes her to school, she wrote empowering messages: “Spread Kindness”, “I Am Strong”, and “Bully Back Off”.
“No matter how many times I get bullied, I always stay positive, so other people know that they can still stay positive”, Brooke said.
A Lesson in Courage and Compassion
The school has since taken appropriate action against the student responsible for writing the letter.
Brooke’s story is a powerful reminder that even in moments of cruelty, compassion can shine through, and that sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is to choose kindness.