For what it's worth, I'm not a mean person. I think I'm a fairly nice person and probably a push over. I will say that I don't like people though.
It's not that I don't like people. I don't like having my bubble burst. I guess I idealize people and when I find out that they are merely human, it upsets me. So to protect myself I keep a distance and prefer to keep to myself.
I mention this for the second time because I'm hitting that point in a parent's life where your kid has a friend and you may not necessarily like their parent.
Ok, she's still young. We still have a say on who their friend is and who isn't.
That's not the point.
I like the kid. I like the parents. I just don't love the parents and unfortunately I think the parents, ok, one parent, really loves our kid and us.
There isn't anything wrong with them. They are nice folks. I just like to keep my space.
There is another thing that irks me but I'll refrain from going into details. It involves chain of events and it's not worth discussing as several other moms have voiced the same thing I suspected.
Anyway, so my dilemma is this, how do I swallow my personal preference and comfort zone and not let this affect my child's relationship with another child?
At mass the readings on Sunday were God telling me that this is one of my tests. I know it.
"All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity." -- Ecc 2:23
"If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts."
"Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly" -- Col 3:5
“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” -- Lk 12:13-21
It's like the story my priest once told me of a nun who spent her life with another nun. They appeared to be best of friends. One day one of the two passed on and as they were consoling the surviving nun, she said that she never liked the other nun but felt God wanted her to love everyone and so she felt it was her lot in life to love her more than anyone for God.
Now, I'm not saying that this is as harsh of a test. Still, I need to learn how to get along with folks, today and in the future, I may not have a fancy for.
It's easier to care for someone who is distant than to care for someone who is near.
