Lunch Date

I met a very handsome young man for a lunch date today. My oldest son. Up at the school cafeteria. Spaghetti was on the menu.

You never can tell with kids what to expect.

I haven't met any of our kids for lunch this year up to this point. When they brought home the cafe menu at the beginning of the month, I found foods that sounded good to me and picked three days that worked on the calendar for me to meet each child on a different day.

Clay was first. You'd think that would generate some sort of excitement. But, no, he didn't seem as over-the-moon to see me as I was to see him.

He spent most of the lunch giving me monosyllabic answers to my questions. Then he would turn to the two boys who he is friends with and talk more to them.

Don't get me wrong. He wasn't rude. Or even embarrassed for me to be there. I'm just kind of wondering if he's over that whole thing about having mom eat lunch with him.

I hope not. I'm not ready for him to be over that.

On the flip side, I made two new friends. They're both eight-year-old little girls, but I'll take all the friends I can get.

The two girls who sat across from Clay and me talked like little magpies to me. While they were up getting seconds and putting their trays up, the boys filled me in.

C., Clay's friend, who will remain anonymous to protect his good name, told me this little nugget: "She's mean."

And he pointed out which girl he was talking about. Clay agreed with his friend's assessment.

Then C. continued, talking about the same girl: "She's bossy."

"Well," I said, "sometimes girls are just like that."

I know two girls in our home who share that trait. Is that a bad thing?

Later, when the girls returned to the table, Miss Bossy (sorry, but I don't remember her real name, so I can't even give an initial.) told me that she missed her dad. He evidently is in the Army and just left yesterday to go to California for his job.

I told her my dad was in the Air Force when I was little, but that he never had to go to California.

Then we talked about Awanas, because she goes to the group at our church. I'll have to keep my eye out for her this evening when we drop the kids off.

Then Miss Bossy pulled a little bit of a head game on the other girl by calling her by her full name, instead of the shortened nickname she prefers. I saw Nickname Girl's lower lip jut out.

Thinking I'd smooth things out, I said, "Oh, I love your full name. It sounds very pretty and grown up."

No dice. Nickname Girl went to tattle to one of the lunchroom monitors. Poor woman! Ahhh, but girls will be girls. (Must. Have. Drama!)

When Nickname Girl returned, Miss Bossy was back out of her seat for some reason, and I leaned over and told Nickname Girl all the wisdom I could muster: "She only does that because she knows it bugs you."

Nickname Girl nodded sagely. Evidently she's heard that before.

When the kids lined up to head back to their classroom, I asked Clay if he wanted me to walk back with him. He said yes, but that child ignored me again. In favor of his friends.

A mom's ego can easily get crushed in the hallowed halls of elementary school.

But my new friend, Miss Bossy, reached up and grabbed my hand and held it all the way back to the class.

Isn't that the sweetest thing? My heart just breaks for her to be without her daddy, even if she is mean and bossy.

Just proves that what you see isn't always the whole story.

Either that or it proves another bit of wisdom I've always heard.

Birds of a feather flock together.