Post Pink: I'm Making the Last Day of February a Day of Kindness Online
February is full of pink—pink for Valentine’s Day, pink fuzzy slippers, frosty winter cheeks, and Pink Shirt Day.
Pink Shirt Day stands for anti-bullying, kindness, and individuality. It all started with a boy in Nova Scotia who was bullied for wearing pink—until his classmates showed up the next day, all in pink, in solidarity. Kindness won. And kindness is contagious.
Why Are Grown-Ups So Mean Online?
Bullying isn’t just a childhood issue. So much of our lives—work, family, fun—exist in digital spaces. Negativity online spreads like wildfire.
I still remember a kid calling me "fatso" on the playground. I thought, How does he know? I’m wearing a coat. Nearly half a century later, I still feel the sting. Now imagine if everyone had heard it, over and over again? Online bullying is worse because no one is there to check their conscience before they press send. People shoot from the hip, say awful things, and ultimately, this stifles creativity and confidence.
The Power of Words
Do you have to be a certain age to remember the saying: If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all? But keeping quiet in the absences of kind is not just for my benefit—it’s for yours too. Carrying negativity doesn’t feel good. Bullying and rejection harm both sides. Negativity weighs us down and kindness, or even the absence of meanness, lifts us up.
SMEAR = FEAR
Similar to a rooster mocking a tall flamingo due to a height complex (I often think in terms of animals), bullies behave this way out of fear or profound insecurity. They aim to make others feel insignificant. This isn't an excuse, but rather an explanation.
Where Empathy Shines
But this is where kindness and empathy shines. Understanding that insecurity and fear exists in your anonymous commentator takes the weight off our shoulders. The fear driving their negativity and meanness has nothing to do with my big body, my smelly sandwiches, or my funny name. It's their issue. Kinda makes you feel sorry for them, no?
A Story of Belonging
My new friend Gogo reminds us we’re more alike than we think.
When roosters tease Gogo Flamingo for wearing shoes, their own insecurities surface. But she stands tall. “I’m Gogo,” she says. “Do you want to be friends? With feathers and wings, we’re all birds in the end.”
After years of rejection, I’m finally bringing this story to life. Rejection isn’t bullying—but cruelty is. One editor called my rhyme strong but mocked the idea of a bird in shoes. Fair critique if you're not a fun-loving spirt . Then they told me not to quit my day job. Not so fair.
This book has lived in my heart—and my drawer—since 2017. It’s time for Gogo to dance and move.
A Movement Beyond Pink
Negative people will want to remind us that wearing pink for a day won’t erase bullying. And yes, studies may show that online cruelty hasn’t disappeared since Pink Shirt Day began. But does that mean we stop trying?
No, No, No, No, Let's Go!
Kindness isn’t about statistics—it’s about moments. Moments where someone chooses to pause before hitting send. Moments where a kind word shifts someone’s entire day. Moments where we remind each other that we belong. Or moments when we decide just not to comment.
So, let’s take this beyond a single day. Let’s make the last day of February a reminder, a ripple effect, a movement.
Post Pink - In what we say, share, and stand for.
Kindness is contagious so let’s make sure it spreads.
Last day of February: Post Pink
Let’s make kindness go viral.
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