the cool kids

when my brother and i were growing up in the same neighborhood where my parents still live, there were approximately three kids in the entire neighborhood and you had to walk about a half mile to find 'em.  but about ten years ago there was a young couples' revival in the hood, and now there are big kids beating down our door pretty much every day, asking to take shoshanna to play in the treehouse across the street or to perform other littlest-kid mascot-related functions. the big kids--two girls who live on our street in particular--are so, so good with shoshi that i would honestly (theoretically) trust them to care for her for an entire day, even though they're only nine and ten years old.

anyhow, yesterday was a neighborhood pool party at the next door neighbors', and although the big kids are incredibly good about including her, there naturally came a moment when shoshi was overlooked.  everyone was busy spreading out cushions and towels on a little porch area, and from afar i saw sho's shoulders slump and her mouth turn down.  when i asked her what was wrong, she said with great sadness, "shoshi want to lay down, too."

the words, they shot unexpectedly like an arrow into my heart.  it was hard enough negotiating the battleground of human childhood interaction the first time around, but to have to stand silently back and watch a person whose pain is truly your own pain, magnified, do it all over again?  lord help me.  but then moments later, the tide had shifted and the scene looked something like this:

and i realized how important it is for everyone to experience those moments of exclusion and sorrow, maybe especially a naturally outgoing kid like sho.  the better to later understand and include others with, i say.  so: bring it, evil kindergartners of the world...BRING IT.  it's only a matter of time before we will crush you with our love.