Hard Lessons to Learn

There are many, many lessons I have learned as an adult that I wish my kids could understand now. The most important one is to not care what other's think about you. It's a bitch to learn and an even bigger bitch to master, but once you do, your whole world will change.

Joshua was a bit down last night and when he finally opened up he told me he doesn't think anyone at school likes him. This isn't a new conversation, but it is one we haven't had in awhile. The kid has friends at school, he talks about them all the time. Then he finally revealed that it's middle school he's worried about.

"What if no one likes me in middle school?"

Now picture that coming from a kid with the biggest, most expressive brown eyes you've ever seen. Now imagine a few tears welling up in those eyes. It's the worst thing ever. Like, gut punch, kick to the crotch bad. My heart and soul were crushed and I didn't know where to begin.

I tried to explain you don't have to be friends with, or even like everybody but all that got me was an eye-roll and a groan. There are so many things I wanted to tell him that I knew wouldn't help at the moment but would be invaluable when he's older. How a lot of people are just total assholes who love to make others feel bad because it boosts their fragile egos. How if someone doesn't like you for who you really are then they aren't worth your time. How it is important to have one or two friends who have your back all the time and not a bunch of "friends" who would stab you in it. How it doesn't matter what category or clique you fall into during those middle and high school years because once you leave those buildings all that bullshit nonsense won't amount to anything.

But I didn't. Those lessons won't do any good until he's ready to hear them, and right now all he wants to hear is that people will like him. I  hugged my boy, wiped the tears, and said a silent prayer for help to get us through these upcoming years unscathed.

And I might have added a prayer or two for anyone who dares to hurt my baby. Hell hath no fury like a pissed off mom.