Look into the Mirror

Today as the students were lining up from recess duty, this one kid in the 4th grade told me,

"Hey, you shouldn't wear that make-up anymore. It isn't Halloween anymore."

ouch.

I was already having a pretty shitty day and this kid just made it worse - even though I know shouldn't take things like this personally. Well, fact of the matter is, and it stung for a bit. An hour later, I got teary-eyed at the Veteran's Day program where all the kids dressed in red, white, and blue and sang to the Veteran's of the Crow tribe. I was so moved.

I told my roommate Courtney about this kid's comment and how it brought me down. She interpreted it as this: "Maybe this kid could really see what's inside of you and is telling you that you don't need to hide things; that you just need to be genuine with your feelings and let them show. Maybe it means you don't need the "make-up" to cover up what's inside."

wow. i heart her and her positive perspective on life. when you feel somewhat isolated from what you're used to and from people you love, it can be hard to wash off the make-up or put on a mask to protect your vulnerability. But you just gotta let it go...

Thanks, Loni.