Bullying is a nasty and horrible thing to do, normally performed by people lacking in confidence and trying to deflect attention away from their own inadequacies and failings. In most cases it is restricted to school children, but sometimes the nasty streak of bullying survives all the way into adulthood.
When Dianne Hoffmeyer was in a coffee shop waiting to buy a coffee for herself and a donut for her 22-month-old daughter, she was shocked to hear two women directing their conversation towards her. She heard them say “Oh look at her hair; it’s nasty looking and the roots are coming through… Oh the whale needs to eat”
What these two horrible women were totally unaware of, not that it should have made any difference, was that Dianne had struggled all her life with her weight and had recently lost 177 pounds. Hurt and upset, as she had every right to be, and even though she was crying Dianne did the most remarkable thing. Rather than get angry or shouting at the women, she gave the cashier extra money and paid for the two bully’s coffee. Sometimes the most powerful way to fight back is through kindness, and this lady certainly handled the situation with class and dignity.