My UFO (unbelievably fabulous observations)

[hoosiermama]

...and I have to report a miracle in my daughter's life.

I'll try to cut to the chase...D14 has had a miserable couple of years in middle school. she was once part of a "triad" of friends, and you know how those things go--someone always gets cut out, and it was her. and these two girls have been unnecessarily mean and rude and awful to her, and it's hurt her so much because they used to be friends. and that has been happening on top of struggling with math, struggling with her father's choices, struggling with the music teacher's bullying. yesterday was her last day of school there (moving on to high school in the fall--yikers!) 7th graders write notes to the 8th graders, and hers consistently say what a nice kid she is, how much she's had to deal with and overcome but how she's done that, taken the high road, remained the kindest 8th grader in the class in spite of receiving so much unkindness. and then the biggie--students submitted old pictures that were made into a slide show video for them, and it was a very emotional time of looking back over the past 8-10 years (since preschool for most of them). after the video, these 2 ex-friends approached her separately. the meaner one said "You must think I'm a real jackass because that's how I've acted. I'm really sorry!" and the other one, who's a pathologic follower, said "D14, I've been a really horrible friend. please forgive me!!" it meant so much to my daughter to hear that, she was weeping as she told me, and it changed the whole character of her last day. it gave her some real closure, it allowed her to feel some sadness at leaving--which is appropriate after 10 years. I am sooooooooo happy about this I can hardly contain myself. in my language, it was the Holy Spirit working, but whatever happened, it was tremendously healing for D14. and I can't begin to express, either, how proud I am of her for maintaining who she is in spite of being treated like crap, for being the leader in character she set out to be at the beginning of the year even tho no adults acknowledged her for it--obviously the rest of the students were able to see it. (who got the character award? the girl who bullied her mercilessly....)

I'm so glad to see our days at this community drawing to an end, finally, and being able to put it behind us--and for having some closure, some goodness in that leaving amid all the pain involved.