Rainbow Scarf Project

I am blessed to be a member of the UCC community. It's something I'm proud of. Unfortunately, with 3 rowdy boys I don't attend service very often so it's important to me to find other ways to help out in order to feel I am an active member of the church community.

Spreading awareness is a big deal at UCC. Whether it's about bullying or equality for all. We believe in discriminating against no one... at all... for any reason.

The buzz at Peace UCC this summer is the Rainbow Scarf Project.

Heard of it? The goal is to spread awareness about violence and bullying, especially against LGBT teens.

What's the idea of the project? Scarves from many states are headed to Long Beach, CA. Throughout the summer people will wear these scarves. Others will wonder (and hopefully ask) why in the heck these crazy people are wearing scarves in the middle of summer in CA. If asked about it, the one wearing the scarf will explain the project's hopes and offer it to the inquiring mind. If the person accepts the scarf they are committing to take action.

When I heard about the project from my pastor, I knew this could be another opportunity for me to help out. I learned how to crochet a few years ago and a scarf would be no biggie to make.

I searched for just the right yarn. I wanted something that screamed, something vibrant and beautiful. I did find a beautiful yarn and although it didn't "scream" the way I hoped it would, the scarf turned out pretty great. Very soon, it will be on its way to CA along with the many other scarves our congregation made.

The scarves made by our congregation! Picture courtesy of Pastor Kayla

The scarf I made!

If you are in CA this summer and see someone wearing a rainbow scarf, please ask them about it and make a commitment to do your part to stop bullying. You know what... even if you aren't fortunate enough to go to CA or to come across someone wearing a scarf, do something, anything to spread a little love. Any effort, big or small, could mean the world to someone else.

Another child lost

A child dealing with bullying + depression = another child dead. The latest incident in our city happened Sunday night. No way can I wrap my mind around how badly someone must be feeling in order to go through any form of suicide. I can't put myself in their shoes. I just know that something terrible is going on inside their head.

Monday morning, the school district sent out emails and phone calls to families of high school and middle school kids informing us of a student's death. While I listened to the automated phone call, my thoughts were that this child had taken his own life. That's probably because our community went through a suicide just a week prior. The call stated that the child had died earlier that morning in the hospital. No details as to how or why. My thoughts were clouded with this child most of the day. I hoped that he had not chosen death for himself, I hoped something else had chosen his fate.

The phone call said he had two sisters in middle school. Since middle school only has 3 grades (6th-8th) it was a fair assumption that one of the sisters is in Kaelyn's (my daughter) grade. When Kaelyn came home from school later that day, I asked her about it but she hadn't heard anything. A few minutes after talking with her, she got a text from a friend telling her about the boy. The message said he committed suicide because he was bullied for being gay. It's just heartbreaking.

Normally I don't want to know the "how'd they do it" details. Not because I think it will be gruesome or because I don't care. I just think it's disrespectful to be so nosy about the subject. On the other hand, I also think it's human nature to be curious. The details of this incident really disturb me though. The story published in our local paper goes like this: near one of our local high schools (the high school he attended) is an enclosed pedestrian bridge. The street below is busy. Around midnight, he climbed to the top of the pedestrian bridge and jumped. He later died at the hospital.

I don't share this information with you just to share it. I am sharing it because I want you all to know the pain this boy must have been struggling with. Any form of suicide is unthinkable to most of us. To me, public suicides scream a statement. Think about the time it took to climb that bridge, the emotions screeching through him, to feel so empty and worthless then to end it all with a jump. I wonder... did he hope someone would stop him and a happy ending would be had? Did he lose his footing and fall? Or did he have every intention of going out like that?


Please spread the awareness!