Today we had a conversation about some of your friends and the way they act on the playground. Some of the things you are dealing with are pretty heavy and, unfortunately, aren’t going to change much for the rest of your life.
They are kids things, like “I’m not your friend” and “I don’t want to play with you”.
And so, in the middle of a slightly painful discussion you came out with this gem of wisdom:
She should not have just walked away. She should have said “You are my friend, and I like you, but I cannot play with you right now” and given me a hug before she walked away.
You said it with an inflection that implied no judgment, only a sense of fairness. And you said it with only a small amount of pain in your voice.
I was impressed by your level of understanding and your ability to put such a complicated set of emotions into words. And, since you are so brilliant, I asked “Is that what you do?”
And you responded “No, mostly I don’t do that” and you grinned at me, fully aware of the gap between what you should do and what you feel strong enough to do.
I am pretty comfortable that in a couple more years you will be strong enough to do what you think is right.
