Perimeter

Our oldest daughter is 10.

Today, two girls around her age knocked on our front door and hid.  I answered (of course), but didn't realize they were hiding, and thought it was weird.

Then about 15 minutes later, they rolled by yelling her name. I saw two of them, told her to hurry outside because these girls were out on their longboards.

She moved quickly to only have the girls board or run away as she went after them.  She came to the house in tears asking,

"Mom, why did they run away from me when I was calling their name? Don't they want to play with me?"

My poor heart broke for her.

She isn't "in" with this set of girls her age in the neighborhood. I came to this conclusion over the last few weeks.  I have been watching them all interact together when all the Moms get together.  She was on the perimeter looking in and I was secretly hoping I was wrong and making a big deal of nothing.

Today just hurt me to watch it. 

Now I will never say my child is perfect. I am not perfect and I am the one RAISING her. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree sometimes. She likes to run the show, she can get snappy, many would call her bossy (I call it "potential leadership skills"), and she is a tad bit of a perfectionist.

But never does that mean it is okay to make someone cry.

I can't believe it has started so early.

I think I have empathy for her though.  I was never fully "in" the with all the girls at school or church.  I seemed to be on the perimeter and the focus of bullying. What am I kidding?  I still am on the perimeter. I am really good with it but only as a grown woman because eventually, I realized those people don't change who I am.

I hope this situation helps her.  I hope it helps her to make friends with people that make you feel good about yourself and that you want to help feel good about themselves.

I just hope she learns that much, much earlier that I did.