Keep Shining, Kid!

This young boy recently posted this video about something simple: his latest haul from Sephora.

That’s it.

His excitement about new products and smelling good.

And somehow that was enough to send a grown woman into a tissy. So much so, she stitched his video and declared that bullying should “come back,” as if cruelty toward children is some lost virtue we should all welcome back.

I refuse to post even a second of her hate speech.

But what she said deserves to be called out for exactly what it is: ugly.

Bullying has never gone away. So it damn sure doesn’t need an invitation to “come back.” Kids have dealt with it in school hallways, locker rooms, and online comment sections for decades. The difference today is that more people are finally willing to say it’s wrong.

Which makes her reaction all the more disturbing.

Imagine being so triggered by a boy being excited about a Sephora haul that your first instinct is to mock him and invite others to bully him. That says nothing about him…and everything you need to know about her. People like her are always the first to say things like protect the children. I guess that’s only if they act manly or if they mater you serve protects pedophiles. 

But I digress. 

If that young man feels confident enough to share who he is with the world, I hope he’s being raised in a home where he is supported, encouraged, and loved exactly as he is. Every child deserves that kind of backing.

But we should also remember: while he seems happy and confident in the video, that isn’t always the full story. Kids see these things. They hear the cruelty. And sometimes it’s that cruelty, not their individuality, that ends up hurting them.

So I hope he also knows this: while there are plenty of people like that woman out there, there are far more of us who support him…and who condemn her for choosing cruelty over kindness.

The real embarrassment here isn’t a boy who likes Sephora products…I t’s adults who are so threatened by a child’s excitement that they try to bully him for it.

So to that young man: keep doing you. Keep sharing your hauls. Keep smelling good.

And honestly, I hope Sephora finds him and showers him with free samples.