Lean on Me...Then Knock Me Over!

You know how you send your little one off to school, or think about someday sending them to school, and you worry about how the other kids will treat them? I think about it everyday as I drop my sweet boy off to school. The other morning, I felt prompted to ask Logan how things really are going at school. I ask how it is everyday, but I get the same answer, "good". Well, this morning I just had that feeling. So I chatted with him over breakfast about stuff, and then got to asking him about friends and how things are going socially. He said "fine." A while later while I was doing his hair, he said, "well, there is one thing that kinda bugs me. The kids are calling me shorty at school." So we had a little talk about how kids find something about everybody that they find different and say things that are hurtful sometimes, and so on. Then to lighten up the convo, I said, "Believe me. Kids had some mean things to say to me too sometimes. I mean, I was always so tall that they called me "amazon girl", and look at all these freckles on my face- I didn't like those at all." And then he says, "Oh, I'm glad that I'm just short, 'cause I sure hate freckles." (completely oblivious to the huge insult this was to me) Sheesh. Glad to make you feel better. Good thing I have a little more confidence now than I did in middle school, otherwise I'd be on the next flight home to go cry to my mommy.

Along the same lines, we've also been talking a lot about how we don't have to do what everybody else does. We need to do what's right, and what we like to do- not necessarily what everyone else might be doing- just be yourself, etc. So I had to chuckle when tonight at dinner I was trying to listen to Logan and Mariah tell me about their day, but was struggling to do so because Harrison was screaming bloody murder. I could hardly hear myself think. Finally I said, "I'm so sorry guys, I really want to hear what you have to say, but Harrison is making it very difficult." Logan said, "It's okay, at least he's just being himself. At least he's not trying to be quiet like every other baby his age." I'm glad to know that some things I say do sink in, but sometimes I think there are exceptions to the rules, eh?