Blake Lively Met Big Bird & It Meant Way More To Her Than You’d Ever Expect

The characters of Sesame Street can be inspiring — even for grown celebrities. Blake Lively met Big Bird while filming an episode of the PBS Kids series and shared her experience on Instagram Tuesday. But, this wasn't your typical meet-and-greet, because the former Gossip Girl star interacting with the yellow-feathered character meant more to her than you probably would have ever imagined.

Believe it or not, but Lively was bullied growing up. It's an unfortunate type of harassment way too many people deal with and the 30-year-old actor briefly shared her experience on social media.

Next to an image of Lively staring up at Big Bird with a huge smile on her face, she wrote,

Still geeking out [heart eyes emoji]. Kids used to make fun of me in elementary school by calling me Big Bird (because I was "too tall" and had "yellow" hair). Here's to making best buddies with the things that once hurt you [champagne glasses and pink heart emoji]

The Shallows actor sends an important message to anyone who can relate to what she endured as a child. As she wrote, "Here's to making best buddies with the things that once hurt you." She probably hated Big Bird growing up, because he reminded her of the torment she faced. From being made fun of for her height and her blonde hair, Lively most likely associated Big Bird with negativity, hate, and meanness.

Now that's all changed. She's an adult who realizes her worth and sees the beauty in her tallness and the color of her hair. And she no longer sees the Sesame Street character as something that made a tough time in her life even tougher. For anyone who's dealt with bullying, if you, like Lively, can find the good in the things that once caused you pain, you just might be a become a more positive and lighter person.

Fans are even thanking The Age of Adeline actor for her meaningful post. Many of her followers relate to exactly what she endured as a young girl. "I was called Big Bird too but not because I was 'too tall' (even though I was one of the tallest girls) or had 'yellow hair' but because I have a big nose," an Instagram user commented on Lively's post.

Another person wrote, "I got called the same it's horrible but we can now laugh in there [sic] face @blakelively xx." Someone else commented, "i had to go through the same thing. ilysm blake! such an inspiration to us all".

It's safe to say Lively's post is hitting home for many.

This isn't the first time she's opened up about her difficult elementary and high school days. While chatting with Vogue in February 2009, Lively discussed how her clothing also made her a target. In second grade, she attended a private school in Los Angeles and it was awful. "It was the only school where people were just downright mean to me," she said. "They would make fun of my clothes because I dressed differently than the other kids."

According to Refinery29, Lively spoke to ELLE Australia about growing up with zero body confidence. "I didn't fit in that well in high school because I was tall and shy and not very confident about myself," she told the magazine. Lively also admitted she "was very introverted and very awkward in social situations."

If you can learn anything from Lively, it should be that things get better. Just look at her now. As much as you might be struggling, it is possible to come out on the other side and live a happy, successful life.