teasing

Recently we were enjoying a morning at the park when my buddy saw a small group of 9 year old boys.  My buddy was so excited and ran over to them shouting, "a lalal lala ahhh lala lala!"  Which loosely translates into, "Hey dudes!  What's up?"  One of the boys stares at my buddy for a moment then turns to his friends and says, "He just said lalalala," and laughs in that I-am-laughing-at-you-and-not-with-you way.

For a minute it stung really bad.  Just like I was back in 6th grade and Beth Palmese taunted me with "stripes don't go with stripes" when my outfit was super cool... even if it was too many stripes.  After the sting passes, I wanted to grab that little boy by the shirt collar and give him a stern talking to about acceptance and being a nice person.  But by then my buddy was attempting to climb the rock wall solo and needed some help.

I've had plenty of kids ask out of innocent curiosity why my buddy can't talk.  I am more than happy to answer them.  This was the first time I have experienced any sort of teasing where my kids are involved.  Thinking about it still makes me want to cry - not because my buddy notices now, but because some day he will.  I finally get why my mom knocked on the door of the neighborhood bully's house to speak to his parents.  (Although I hope never to do that myself.)

I know it is not within my power to shelter my kids from life's little kicks in the pants.  Nor is it in my power to make all other kids be kind and loving all the time.  I guess I just wish it didn't have to happen so soon and right in front of me.