😬 The Joke That Hurt

You’re at lunch with your friends. Someone tells a joke about glasses, and you add, “Yeah, like Eli’s big ones!”

Everyone laughs. Eli laughs too—but then gets really quiet.

Later, you see him alone near the swings.

What do you do?

You walk up and say, “Hey… are you okay?” Eli shrugs. “I don’t really like being laughed at,” he says.

You figure Eli’s fine—he smiled when you made the joke.

But now he’s not playing with anyone. He looks sad.

You say, “Did you see Eli’s giant glasses again today?”

One friend laughs, but another says, “That’s kinda mean.”

You say, “I’m sorry I made fun of your glasses. That wasn’t kind.”

Eli says, “Thanks. That means a lot.”

You say, “It was just a joke.” Eli replies, “It didn’t feel funny to me.”

You pause. Maybe it didn’t land the way you meant.

You keep joking, but it doesn’t feel as funny anymore. Eli doesn’t even look up.

Later, someone says, “You should probably say sorry.”

You stop and say, “Actually, that wasn’t nice. I’m going to go check on Eli.”

Your friends watch as you walk away.

You realize your joke might have hurt someone’s feelings. That’s not what you meant. Now what?

You walked away without checking in. You wonder if Eli thinks no one cares.

You didn’t use big words—but you made a kind choice. Being near someone is a good start.

You took responsibility and chose kindness. That’s what heroes do.

🏅 You’ve earned the Kindness Hero badge!

Sometimes jokes don’t land the way we hope. The good news? You can always choose kindness next time.

You noticed a feeling, took a step, and made someone feel seen. That’s kindness in action.