"And so I asked them, 'What if I wasn't the principal's kid...'"

Routine, Reality, Reflections... There isn't really a point to this post, just some random thoughts that escaped to the page.
I was in the middle of our goodnight routine.  Maggie knows I enjoy writing and asked me what I was going to write about next.  I jokingly said, "About how some people like you for what they think you can do for them, and others hate you based on who they think you are."  I laughed, knowing it was silly and thinking it was over her head.  She ever so naturally responded with, "That is like one day at recess when I asked someone if I could play with them, and they told me 'Yes, because you're the principal's kid.'  And so I asked them, 'What if I wasn't the principal's kid?'  They didn't respond so I went to play with someone else."  I asked her how that made her feel.  She said it was normal.  Then she changed the subject, talking about how excited she is to come home earlier in the afternoons, to spend family time instead of watching me work on the computer at night, and how she can't wait to hang out all day together this summer.
As hard as I tried to make them normal kids, free of the reality of political presence, I guess it was more a part of their lives than I dared to notice.   Unfortunately, her situation is unique to her, but not unique to childhood.  Our littles deal with others putting them in a category for acceptance every day.  The category for which they are accepted may change, but the impact of rejection rarely fades. Half of my heart hurt that she had to understand acceptance based on a status, and the other part was proud of the I-didn't-give-a-shit-about-their-comment-and-found-someone-better attitude.
As I watch my two kids sleeping tonight, I thank God for His divine plan to distance us from the politics.  He has put me in a position to be more physically, mentally, and emotionally present for my family so I can truly engage in conversations like the one we had tonight.  I am thankful that I can view their childhood challenges as opportunities to help them become resilient rather than racing to patch the holes others put in their bubble.  I am thankful for the strong relationships we have with family and close friends that ensure a safety net for their hearts that they may never understand and always underappreciated.  I am thankful for the little moments... an intense family game of Spot It, watching a game of tag end in the mud,  Luke stopping me to dance in the kitchen, Maggie grabbing my hand to help drive the 5-speed on our way to school.  These little moments are so easy to leave in the moment, but I'm sure they are what make a mean kid worth forgetting, a memory worth making, and a life worth sharing.