Here's why:
She's getting to the age (four and a half) where her friends are more of a big deal. She is pretty social too and always loves having friends over to play. If she doesn't know someone, she simply calls them "friend" and follows them around like she's their shadow. She wants to be included.
I was observing one day and she wanted to play a certain game with some friends. She asked three girls to play with her. The first one said "no!".
"How bout you?" - she asked the second gal
"No!"
"Ok, how bout you? - she appealed to the third child
"No!"
Her shoulders dropped slightly and she walked off and eventually found something else to do. I honestly don't think it bothered her as much (or at all) as it bothered me…because I know in the near future, it will be more bothersome to her.
What did I want to do?? I wanted to go over and make my own appeal to her friends. "She's a really fun girl. She will play nicely. C'mon please play with her!"
---I know her friends weren't being mean. They were simply replying like three and four year olds do when they don't want to do something. It just brought out insecurities of my own and realizing Rilynn would soon face them herself.
What did I do? Nothing. I left it alone. But my heart kind of sank a bit. Because I remember how much it hurt to be rejected by peers - especially when you had such a people-pleasing nature. I don't want her to get her feelings hurt. I don't want her to cry over who is her friend and who isn't. I don't want her to be made fun of. I just don't want her to go through that! But I know she will…very soon. It's coming. I remember middle school. And it was HARD.
Then last week I found out Rilynn was accidentally put on the five year old tball team instead of the four year old team. She loves tball but she's not exactly the MVP so I started to get anxious again…What if everybody gets upset with her because she didn't throw the ball right or run to the right base?? Oh please accept her - please be her friend still, I thought. But at her first practice, we learned she was not the least skilled of the team. The skill level for four year olds and five year olds apparently isn't much different at all.
My brother and I during the middle school years |
I know I can't protect them from life. I want to. :) But I can't. They have to experience hurt and sadness and learn how to pick themselves up, know their identity is in Christ (hopefully, one day) and not in what others think, and move on. And perhaps, in Rilynn's case as in mine, learn not to take certain things so personally. All I can do is to equip them best I can to be kind and love others - different or not. And ultimately, I need to get over my own anxieties that my girls won't survive being hurt or sad.
Oh my - three little girls. They will eventually be three teenage girls. How will they ever survive?? How will their daddy and I survive??? :)
We will though. We will.
I just love this picture. That is all |