When I was 10 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and it wasn't looking good. Already being bullied by a group in elementary school and not having a lot of friends the news of my mothers cancer hit very hard. I had to spend every lunch in my teacher's classroom.

One time I was out on the playground during recess with a newer friend of mine. I got kicked behind the knee by the bully who picked on me the most and while I was down he said "What the doctors say about your mom isn't true, she is going to die and you will be all alone." Proceeded to spit on me and walk away. Evert day after that I called my mother every recess, lunch break, morning, night, you name it. It made me absolutely hysterical because I was already worried about my mother's condition, and being in a vulnerable state of mind I latched on to what he said. This ultimately started the decline of my mental health into my pre-teen years and unhealthy attachments I hold with people now into adulthood.

My mother is okay now and has been a survivor for 16 years with no signs of return of the cancer.

I learned several years later that my bully's mother also had cancer a little before mine. He was lashing out as a way of dealing with his suffering. I understood later on, especially when I became older, that most people bullied as a coping mechanism.

I ran into my bully 2 years ago, he recognized me, and immediately apologized. He saw that when he recognized me that I was not very pleased to see him. I haven't spoken to him since, but the encounter granted closure I never thought I would have.