Oh Man I Remember That

Laura came to me last night crying. It was after I told her to go to bed and I had just gotten in bed myself. She comes in my bedroom with tears running down her face. She was saying that she missed her Mom and she tried to call her but she wasn't there.

So I tried to do my best Mom to her. As a step-parent you walk a fine line between friend and parent. I figured now was the time that I needed to be parent. So I hugged her and just let her cry on my shoulder for awhile. It came out that some girls at school were being really mean and snotty to her and they made her cry in school earlier this week. And boy do I remember how horrible girls can be to other girls. I was that girl that was picked on a lot, probably because I was so shy and sensitive and they sensed it, like animals sense fear.

I tried to give her my best "boost your self esteem, you are better than them" talk. Because really that is what is all about - self esteem that at 9 or 10 years old, you are sorely lacking. Not to mention, she is dealing with her mother's sickness, her parents being divorced, and having 2 homes. I told her that I thought she was one terrific kid and it was okay to cry - part of being a girl is crying.

When I told her to go try to get some sleep, she walked away and then came back and gave me another hug and told me that "I am not her stepmom, but her other mother". Ahhh, I started to cry then!