Amen, Codybear. Your message carries such wisdom. Thanks for posting.
You know, interesting that while reading your post, my thoughts didn't wander so much toward my own childhood and those seemingly "little" things that affected me - but more to my own parenting of my son, who just turned 18. I thought about certain incidents that seemed, to me, no big deal at the time - but I know they affected my son terribly.
Like the time (5th grade) a group of girls trapped him on the school playground, held him on the ground, and made bets about a certain girl kissing him. She did, then they let him go. He was so embarrassed and hurt, and told me about it when he got home from school. I'd been laughing and having a good time with my friend when my son told me about this, and I didn't see the hurt in his eyes - I just laughed some more at his story.
He ran from the room and hid in his closet. I didn't notice right away. For 20 minutes I didn't notice he wasn't around - so I went looking for him, and found him still huddled in a little ball, in his closet, crying his eyes out.
Gosh I wish so much I could turn time backwards to that day so I could handle the situation better - talk to him, comfort him, let him know NO one has the right to abuse another person that way, then notify the school about it and demand that the girls involved be held accountable.
I have apologized to him for that day, and others.
You are so right - we often forget how impressionable young minds can be. Sometimes the smallest gesture can be so damaging, or incredibly uplifting.
I pray often for awareness and sensitivity to those around me, especially children.
thanks for the reminder.
Love 
