the car ride

As parents we all try to protect our children from pain.
We know pain as adults, and we know just how hard it can be at times to overcome pain.
Some never recover from painful moments in life, and I think this is what scares me as a parent...I never want my children to harbor pain and carry it with them forever.

This morning we were driving to school as we always do, pull up to the curb and park, then we sit in the car for a few minutes and talk about what a great day they will have at school learning and playing.
I think it's important to set the mood for the day even if we are all exhausted, grumpy or have a case of the Mondays...
As we sat in the car one of Kalena's classmates walked by and this is when Kalena put her head down and got really quiet.
I kept talking to Kannon knowing that she would either let whatever it was pass or she would say what it was that was on her mind.
She looked up a few minutes later with tears in her eyes and said "Mommy, (I will call this friend of Kalenas "Suzy") Suzy said the other day that Kannon was really weird"...
"She said that I have a weird brother and she didn't want to play with me"

Oh crap.
O.k. obviously this is not a surprise, I knew this would come up now that they go to the same school and have the same recess time.
Her friends would see Kannon and point out their juvenile observations that all kids do.

As we sat in silence for a moment Kannon got very quiet and started looking out the window.
Kalena was wiping away her tears and Kannon looked over at her reached out and grabbed her hand...
"It's o.k Kalena...I'm not weird." "Don't be sad".

We talked more about it until she came to her own conclusion that this was going to happen sometimes, and that all she can do is "stick up for Kannon", and not get her feelings hurt because other people "don't know him like I do".

Exactly.
No one ever really knows what goes on behind the scenes.
No one knows the battles people fight in silence.
No one can ever tell you what is truth, or make you feel bad for things they just don't understand.

Kalena will continue to forgive people in her life for their misunderstandings about her brother.
She will have to grow a thicker skin and lighter conscious.
I think Kannon is pretty lucky to have her as his best friend in this life...the fact that at her age she can cry for someone else is an amazing act of love.

Kannon was very quiet after grabbing Kalenas hand.
He was silent all the way down the hill that we walk every day to his class.
We said goodbye to Kalena as she walked off to her class, then we walked towards the bench to wait for his teacher.
He sat down, still quiet...I just sat next to him and waited.
He had pulled his hood over his head in the car so I couldn't see his face while we walked.
As his teacher came up and his other classmates I leaned in to say goodbye to him.
I pulled his hood down over his head and saw a red, teary eyed boy.
"Oh buddy, what's the matter"
"I'm not weird mamma...I'm a good boy...Kalenas sad because I'm weird."

We walked over to the side and talked for a few minutes until the tears stopped...until he got back on his feet again and was ready to move forward with his day.

Some people have to experience hurdles in life earlier than others, and some fall down more then others.
As a parent it can be very tough to watch and experience...
But what we have to remember is that it's their journey, not ours.
These are their lessons to learn.
Even if we can't use words to talk about feelings, your action of just listening and looking at them while they "talk" to you in their own way is still love.
Watching your child fall down either metaphorically or physically is hard. Sometimes though it can be good to allow them to get up on their own...we can be right next to them without interfering.
All we can do is love them every day with arms and ears wide open just in case they need somewhere to fall.


peace.