I had my heart utterly and completely broken yesterday.
Monday after school, Isabelle was a bit down. She told me that her 'best friend' didn't want to play with her at lunch recess. I asked her why not, she didn't know. I responded by telling her sometimes our friends just want to play with other people and she should just ask someone else to play, or say tell them she has no one else to play with, can she play with them.
Yesterday, she tells me that she had asked another friend, from the other class, to play... but she didn't want to either. I asked her what she did at lunch when this happens.....
I walk around by myself.... <insert teary-eyed mom here>
What??? How could anyone not want to play with my beautiful angel?? How dare anyone hurt her so!!
I did my best to remain calm at the moment, but I confess, I have been breaking into sobbing tears when she is not around.
I wonder if this happened to me as a child? I know I didn't have many close friends, I still don't, but she as always been so popular with the other kids.
I am a total introvert... Belle is the exact opposite.. an extreme extrovert. She loves attention... is this perhaps the problem? I wonder if it is perhaps her kookyness, her wild imagination, her ability to disappear into another place that freaks them out. I watch her when she has friends over, and most of them just don't get it. They are so not as creative as she is.
Oh, Clare. I can't imagine I would react any differently; I would be blubbering behind every closed door. I was that kid walking around on my own during lunch. I know exactly how it feels. I will say this: a lot of the time when I was "shunned" by friends, it always had something to do with a clique, or with a few people trying to impress someone more popular. It sucks, but kids get caught up in that crap so easily. They are afraid of differences because they don't want to stand out. But remember: as adults we often value and treasure the folks who aren't afraid to stand out. Don't ever let her forget that. Don't let that spark be doused!
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