I wish you could see…
I wish you could see what he’s like when no one is around, when no one is watching, warily sizing him up.
The funny boy he is when he’s not trying so hard
To impress you
Make you like him
To appear smart
I wish you could see into her heart
That she loves fiercely
Is loyal
That she really just wants what we all want
To be liked for who we are regardless of what we wear, the stuff we have or the place we call home.
I wish you could see that behind his awkwardness, his desire is connection.
I wish you could see that behind her striving and attention seeking, what she wants is to be marveled at and delighted in.
I wish you could see
That it’s hard to move and say goodbye to friends, and difficult to make new ones.
I wish you could see the way he cried when you called him dumb, carelessly throwing words around like it was no big deal.
To him it was a very big deal. Small things are big things.
I wish you could see the hurt in her eyes when you told her she was ugly, green envy soaked words aimed right where you knew it would hurt the most.
I wish you could see.
I wish you could see the progress he’s made, the milestones surpassed.
I wish you could see the way she smiles from her toes when she nails that cartwheel, backbend or some other contortionist feat; her joy when she learns the new song on her keyboard.
Her determination exceeds her age.
I wish you could see that what looks like disrespect often is his literal, robotic, fact-based way of seeing and relating to the world around him.
I wish you could see what I see.
Instead of judging what you don’t understand.
Lori's Life and Other Stuff 
Oh Lori, you always bring me tears. Not that this is bad at all. I always told my kids be nice and smile, you never know what has happened to someone or maybe they just learn a different way than you do. My daughter was later diagonosed with a learning disability ( she overcame this in college with much struggle) Later when they were in college I shared that there was a girl in my 5th grade class,very withdrawn, she looked shattered, but oh so smart. In my 20s we learned she took her life, her father had abused her since she was very young. My kids both remembered how I always said be nice, they said mom you were talking about that girl in your 5th grade class. People can be so cruel, but my kids learned early that kindness is rare but treasured by those who recognize it.
Keep writing, you keep us all thinking………………
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Wow Kim. Thank you for sharing that. And yes – that’s exactly what I mean. I think as parents we have to work twice as hard at building up what the world so easily tears down in our kids. ❤️
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