It was sixth grade and she sat with us at lunch everyday, no one acknowledging her or speaking to her, everyone rolling their eyes when she spoke. I could see the sadness in her eyes; she wanted to be friends with us, but for whatever reason, “we” didn’t like her. It was one of those situations where one person, I don’t even know who, decided they didn’t like her, and so the rest of us just went a long with it, no one standing up for her, or taking her side.

I would watch her muster up the courage day after day to come and sit down at our table and endure it all again. I never did anything to her directly, I never intentionally hurt her, but I never did anything to help her either. I always felt terrible watching this happen to her, but I never said a kind word or lent her a comforting hand. I was eleven, and these were my brand new friends, so I sat back and did nothing, I kept my feelings of guilt to myself.

Eventually she made new friends and stopped sitting with us at lunch. One day she was there, and the next she wasn’t. Now, this isn’t one of those stories with a tragic ending, just a tragic beginning. Her new friends cared for her, and listened to her. They were real friends. It made me happy that she was able to join another group of friends, but it also made me feel terrible that we weren’t the ones to be kindhearted and accepting towards her.

Even though her story ended up being a happy one, I will never forgive myself for ever letting another person be treated like that. Looking back on those horrible few weeks makes me feel dreadful, and ashamed. But because of this experience I have learned a lot about myself how to treat people with the kindness and respect that everyone deserves. I have never and will never stand by and watch someone being mistreated and neglected ever again. That is a promise that I made to myself all those years ago.

I have made amends with the girl, and we have since become good friends. She doesn’t hold any grudges, claiming that in sixth grade no one really knew much better, but the thing is I did know better. I knew how hurt and alone she must have felt, and I knew what we were doing was completely wrong, and yet I was a bystander. I watched the whole thing happen, and it is my biggest regret that I didn’t stand up for her. For this reason, I believe in kindness.