Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Stress on Different Levels



Besides the fact that the price of gas is ridiculous, so is the service. Anyone who knows me knows that I will do everything to NOT pump my own gas. If it isn't Gord doing it then I will be sure to find a service station that will do it for me. I just don't pump gas, simple as that. But service stations are far and few between and add to that that it must be an Esso station (reduced price with company card), it is really hard to get gas should I really need it. Now, picture this. This AM, I really needed gas. No time to run out of gas on the highway (as has been done in the past). So I grin and bear it and go to an Esso station where I must pump my own gas. Pump #1 did not accept the discount card. Pump #2 did not actually have a hose in it. Pump #3 and #4 had OUT OF ORDER signs and pump #5 once again did not accept my card. There are 8 pumps at this station and only 3 work but I cannot get to them as they were either busy or non-accessible! I finally got gas which in total took 15 minutes! Now do you see why I HATE getting gas!

On another note, Cara-Li was doing her homework yesterday when she asked me to sit and do her reading with her. And so she begins. I usually sit there and listen to her to make sure she pronounces everything correctly but I do not necessarily always pay attention to the content. So these are the key words I hear. Mom, love, other side of the world, darker skin, black hair, belly. At this point, I catch on. It was a story about us. The daughter asks her Mom if she loves her eventhough she comes from the other side of the world, did not come out of her belly, has darker skin, has straight black hair and looks nothing like her. OK. It was well written and really showed how this Mom really loved her daughter despite all these differences. It ended with the daughter saying, '' I love you, Mom. MY MOM.'' So once I made sure that Cara-Li understand it properly (as it was in French), we discussed it. To which she exclaimed that it was a story about us, to which she followed up with a huge hug and a kiss and an I love you! What's amazing was that she didn't seem to be disturbed by all this and actually seemed quite sure of herself. What concerned me a little is that this was read in the class as it is in their reader. While I have no problems with adoption being discussed in class, I just hope it was done properly. Luckily, Cara-Li is not the only adoptee in her class, so she was not alone. When I asked her about it, she did not seem to be concerned. But the kids today, especially in our circle, are used to seeing blended families and therefore, they just see it as normal. Little bit stressful, though.

1 comment:

Wanda said...

Hhmmm..........a somewhat similar thing happened last night while I was tucking Dahlia into bed. She started to pull her eyes out in the corners and I asked what she was doing and she said some kids at school do that to her. So, I asked how come (trying not to show any alarm)and she said they do that to her sometimes and ask her to say something in Chinese, which she said she does. (She can say hi and thank you in Mandarin but they probably think she can read a whole book - haha.)So I asked her how she felt about it and she shrugged and said fine - they probably think I cute or something (!!!)So of course, I answered - Hmm, they'd be right. She also said one of the boys had dark skin.

I can't happened but I wish she could always keep this innocence and therefore not react defensively.

Its so hard we want to protect them and yet toughen them up too.