I was having a conversation the other day with a 6 year old. So she and I were having a chat about an incident that happened to her at school. It was one of those unfortunate days, you know the girls were acting mean and cliquish. They didn't want to play with her. She first noticed it in class and then later, on the playground. The girls were playing a game and refused to include her. It hurt my heart just hearing this story. So I asked how she dealt with this: Did she persist with the group to try to get in on the game? Did she go to another group to try to make some new friends? Did it make her cry? Nope - none of those. She looked at me square in the face and said the following (I am quoting here), "Care~ it's fine. They didn't want to play with me so I went to find something to do on my own."

Her answer was as calm and self assured as possible. I could see the whole incident really didn't bother her. She wasn't letting it boil inside. She wasn't talking behind their backs to other six year olds. Surely she wouldn't need therapy to deal with this rejection.

I couldn't help but to think about some of the ridiculous antics that I have witnessed or sadly let bother me over the years. The times I've heard about someone saying this or that, the necessity I have sometimes felt to analyze situations that really aren't worth a second thought.

Thankfully, I have grown to a point where I don't let much bother me anymore. I guess that's the beauty of getting older and applying what you've learned over the years. Where in my 20's something would have really hurt my feelings (perhaps I was a little on the sensitive side), now in my 30's I can laugh it off. Don't get me wrong, I still believe in being as kind as possible. I just don't get hurt if people don't return the feeling.

The good thing is, if I have a moment of weakness where I read a blog that is potentially hurtful or listen to a critic, all I have to do is go upstairs. That 6 year old with the amazing sense of self, just happens to be my step-daughter.