When I was in middle school and beginning to have sleep-overs
at my house, my best friend was not allowed to participate. The first time this happened, I thought
they were just overprotective parents and felt bad for my friend. Later in the year however we were both
invited to another slumber party and she was allowed to attend this one. At this point I realized there was
something different about my family and the families of my friends. Once I discovered what this difference
was (that I didn’t live with my parents) I was hurt and confused. It felt as if my parent’s flaws were
being taken out on me.
In order for this situation to be improved, my friends
parents would have to learn to accept different kinds of families. By learning the circumstances behind
how and why families are made different can help in this. By the time we were in high school, my
friend’s family learned more about my background and became more
accepting.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteYour story made me so sad. It is moments like that when you feel alone and confused. Unfortunately, I think this happens more often than we know. Personally, I have never been part of a situation like this, but I can only imagine how I might feel. I am happy to hear that the end result was a positive one.
Kathryn
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteIn our growing up years something like this obviously hurts and we are not sure how to make it better when we might know what the problem is to begin with. I am so glad your friend and her parents were able to accept you and your circumstances. Better late than never but it must have been hard regardless.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI love your transparency. I feel as a parent we try to shelter our children so that they can't be harm but in acuality this is not possiible. It is neccesary to teach our children so that when they go out they can make wise decissions in other enviroments without us. I feel that it was not fair for that family to discriminate against you not even taking the time to understand who you are. This is why it is so important for us to understand the value of diversity and how it can affect our lives. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI like the honesty in your story. I think often times that people do not always realize the impact of our actions. This class has made me more mindful of what I say and do and how it could be taken. Understanding and a child's innocence in all of us would go a long way in creating a better world.