I often wonder what kind of mother I'll be.
I wonder if I see a someone on the playground picking on my kid if I'll be able to teach them how to stand up for themselves,
Or teach them how to walk away.
I was always a "scare-dy cat".
I made friends with the mean girls at school to insure they weren't my enemies.
(Probably the best advise my Mother ever gave me.)
Don't get me wrong I didn't hang out with them on weekends but I slapped them 5 every time I passed them in school.
It paid of too when Taylor Ryan saved me in the Nathan Hale girls' bathroom.
I swear I was about to get pounded by a 250 pound Mexican girl*.
(I was in the 5th grade BTW)
Until Taylor stepped in. "Let her go guys, she's cool."
Phew.
Fast forward to last summer in the pool.
I was swimming with 2 of my nieces and nephew in our community pool.
And some little brat who was probably 5, kept stealing our pool toys.
It was seriously obnoxious and her mom was nowhere to be found.
I told Kylee(8), Kalyn(4) and Koltyn(2) that we should just ignore her and keep playing.
Well she kept stealing Kalyn's toy.
Kylee looked at me waiting for me to respond.
Of course I didn't.
The eternal peacemaker that I am I just got our other toys and gave them to my nieces and nephew.
After the little bully kept stealing those toys, Kylee had finally had enough.
"Hey! Those are our pool toys. Stop taking them from my sister it's not nice."
I felt like such a loser.
I promised myself I would not be that person ever again.
December 22, 2011.
In Kayenta, Arizona.
At the Burger King playland.
Meet my niece Rylie....
It was her 3rd birthday.
And she was having a blast playing with all the big kids in the play land.
We were on our way to Utah to spend Christmas with our family,
And we stopped for lunch and to give her a break from the car ride.
Hey, It was her birthday, she deserved it.
She was trying to conquer the jungle gym stairs but her legs simply were not long enough.
She needed help.
Her Dad was getting our food. Her Mom was holding her baby brother.
So Aunt Krystle stepped in.
I am not small. But Rylie needed help.
So I lodged myself on the first step and began to assist her.
First step. Done. Second step.....just about there.....
And then I hear this voice.
Monotonous.
Yelling....
"MOVE. MOVE. MOVE."
I give Rylie a shove up the 3rd and final step and hear it again.....
"MOVE. MOVE. MOVE."
Then it occurs to me that these commands are directed towards me.
I look down and what do you know.
The meanest looking Indian kid* is looking me right in the eye.
And he is yelling at me.
"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"
And then something inside me snapped.
And I yelled.
"I'll move when I'm ready!!!"
"Can't you see that I'm helping a little girl!?!?!? Are you freaking kidding me?"
I then moved and he proceeded to race up the steps.....
No apology. Nothing.
I ducked, stepping through the net curtains and my Sister Natalie was standing there holding her baby.
With her mouth hanging open.
And then we cracked up laughing.
Natalie later proclaimed that she was pretty proud of me.
"I heard you say you'd move when you were ready. I thought good for Krystle standing up for herself. And then you just kept on going at him. It was awesome."
So as it turns out.
I think I'll teach my kids how to stand up for themselves.
No one likes a scare-dy cat.
** I am not prejudice. Bullies come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
