So why "Ophelia"

I you are at all familiar with Shakespeare's Hamlet, you will remember poor, tragic Ophelia. She tried, in vain, to please Hamlet, to please her father, all the while losing her true self.

Dr. Mary Pipher write a book back in the mid-90's. Dr. Pipher saw an increasing number of young girls coming to her with serious problems.... eating disorders, suicidal thoughts.... Dr. Pipher wrote of these girls in her book Reviving Ophelia.

Then, a woman by the name of Susan Wellman read Dr. Pipher's book. She talks of meeting Dr. Pipher and realizing it was one of life's AHA moments. Sue founded The Ophelia Project along with some amazing women in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1997.

I come into this story four short years ago. My daughter was being ignored, excluded, taunted and ridiculed by her two best friends. I went searching for answers (using Google, of course) and found Sue and The Ophelia Project. The Ophelia Project raised awareness of those behaviors that fall under the category of "relational aggression". RA is those nasty, behind the back behaviors that young girls and boys seem to perfect by middle school. You know what I am talking about -- the classic "mean girl" -- eye rolls, gossip, rumors, name-calling. Yep, it happened to my baby girl, and I was furious.

Skip to four years later, and here I sit, still volunteering as the Director of The Ophelia Project of SE Wisconsin. I am forever grateful to Sue for helping us to get started here. We are affiliated with the national OP, but maintain our own budget and programs. We work with schools and community organizations to help them make safer places for kids. We call it "safe social climates" -- it means that everyone is safe socially, emotionally and physically.

I am amazed (and blessed) when I tell you that we have served thousands of children and adults. It is such a wonderful feeling knowing something I helped to create is going strong, and letting kids know that bullying is not their fault... BULLYING IS THE FAULT OF THE BULLY. Plain and simple.

Tomorrow.... what happened to me last week (hint: some adults never outgrow those "mean girl" behaviors)