It is getting harder and harder to keep up with this blog, but something happened a month ago that I am afraid will be lost if I don't put it here.
One evening several weeks back Luke was in my room talking about the girls at school that may or may not like him. He was telling me how he doesn't want to hurt their feelings when they send their friends to see if he likes them.
Me "what do you say to them?"
Luke "I just shrug my shoulders, that way I never say anything."
Me "doesn't that just confuse them and keep them asking?"
Luke "yeah, sometimes, but I just keep shrugging."
He then proceeded to ask me about my love life in elementary/middle school. I informed him that at no time during either of those two periods of my life did a single boy ever send his friends over to my friends to ask them if I could possibly like them. He was flabbergasted, shocked, dismayed, all the above.
Luke "MOM, no boys ever liked you"?
Me "Nope, not till HS."
Luke "Are you sure? How do you know"
Me "Well one time a note went around the class to all the boys to put in order who they thought was the prettiest to the worst."
Luke "I know you weren't last?"
Me "No, I wasn't last, I was second to last."
Luke "I knew you couldn't be last"
Luke " did it hurt your feelings though?"
Me "yeah, kinda, because the girl that was last was in special ed."
Luke "MOM, that is sad, I feel so bad for you"
Luke "were boys mean to you?"
Me "yeah, kinda mean. Sometimes they called me string bean, and Latrina"
Luke "that is HORRIBLE"
Me "okay time for bed, I am not the least bit sad about that anymore, besides your dad thinks I am pretty and I got the best looking guy there is."
Luke "yeah, dad thinks your pretty"
Then he gives me his double wink and makes a noise in his cheek like I am all that and a bag of chips and heads up to bed. Twenty minutes later I head up to make sure everyone is settled in, and as I am leaving the room I hear-
"Mom, I feel so bad for you. I won't be able to sleep, it is just so sad and mean. When you grew up you were pretty right"?
Me "yes Luke, I grew up pretty and nice too, I am sure that I wouldn't be last on the list anymore.""Remember how important it is to ALWAYS be kind, especially to girls, these kinds of things are a big deal and you can really hurt someone."
Luke "I will remember, I can't forget."
Luke "I know mom, they were just all jealous because you were so pretty, right?
Me "No Luke, I wasn't very pretty. I had bad haircuts, was super skinny and kinda weird." "Goodnight"
I start down the stairs and hear him say:
"They would all be jealous now, if they could see you. I hope they can."
5 comments:
That conversation is precious! I'm so glad you recorded it for posterity. What a compassionate son you have and what a difference that conversation may make in his life. Thanks for sharing!!!
I'm laughing my head off! I can hear that conversation as if I were right there in your house. That is so Luke!
I'm sure the impact of your sad, loveless elementary years will help him be nicer to all those poor girls at school. Really. He's a nice kid.
I don't care what you say, I always thought you were pretty! But, I do remember the mean boys, particularly the ones who threw rocks at all of us at your birthday party. :)
Tonya, he really is thoughtful, at least as far as I am concerned, others beware.
Crista,
Your memory is fading dear friend. I was the skinniest, worst haired girl around for quite a while. I remember your knee getting pelted with a rock when we were down by the road, those were some really nasty older boys. I can't even remember who they were now. AH! old age strikes again.
Didn't matter, Catrina. You were one of my best friends, and so I thought you were beautiful. Beauty comes from within. And, yes, I still have a mark on my knee from those awful boys. :)
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