middle school meanness...

I hung out with some of the 7th graders this morning during Sunday school and their conversation turned to talking about other kids at school, who is popular, who is not...etc. I just sat back and listened.. seeing what I coud learn about them. One girl mentioned the name of the supposed most popular girl at school.... and everyone groaned and rolled their eyes..

except one girl.. who jumped up and said - wait.. my mom was talking to her mom and her mom said - 'she's struggling with life'..

girls in sunday school class.. cheered.. they cheered.. they said - ya.. she's struggling with life..

I bit my tongue and listened to them some more but really I was thinking - how awful they are that they are happy that someone else is struggling..

someone that they don't like.. is struggling.

and then it hit me.. I ... do... that... TOO! uh oh..

You do it too, don't you. We all do.. there is a tiny bit of us that rejoices when that one person we're slightly jealous of.. (admit it.. you get jealous!), is struggling..

the straight A student gets a B.. wahoo! not so smart after all huh?

The pretty girl gets dumped!! makes us all feel better right?

here I was thinking how mean these 7th grade girls are when it dawned on me, I'm a 7th grade girl.. and I don't like that. not one bit.

I don't want to feel happy, smile for a second.. feel better about myself for a minute - because someone else is struggling.. or hurting.. or failing. But, sometimes I do.

Sometimes it helps to know that others don't have it all together. Sometimes I feel encouraged to know that another mom has hard days with their kids. Sometimes I can laugh easier at myself when I realize that others who looked so perfect, have ketchup spilled down the front of thema nd they don't even realize it.. ok, maybe not literally.. but you get it.

and yes, it's good to know that others fail or struggle or mess up. But I'd rather focus more on celebrating people's successes and joys and triumps then rejoicing in their failure. I think I'll get more out of that.

Maybe that is what happens when you're in 9th grade..

cause I don't want to be stuck being a 7th grade girl..