"Mommy, I'm Diffferent."
I picked up big kid from grandma's house and hopped into a taxi to pick up Pollito. Let me preface this with this being a change in routine. While in the cab, I ask him how was school and he's looking at me like he wants to say something. So I said, "what's up buddy? Is there something you'd like to say?" He shrugs and says "Nothing." But I hear him mumble and continue to look at me. I looked back at him and asked him again. Again he says "nothing" but I see the tears welling up. So to not get him to have a meltdown, I look away and check my phone for messages. A couple of minutes later, he says, "Mommy, (pause) I'm different."
To my (semi) relief, he continued to say, "My pants. They're black. I like jeans. This shirt is gray. I like my yellow Brazil shirt."
He then said, "Well, my school is different from my old school and my friends are different from my old friends. My teachers are different from my old teachers too. Some of my friends wear glasses and I don't."
Quickly and carefully, I said "Yes, they are. Everyone is different. That's what makes us all special and unique." He said, "I don't know what you mean." So I continued to tell him that we are all beautiful people with different things that makes us all special. For example, he knows all about animals and dinosaurs and that makes him different from me. I don't know much about those things. He said, "My friends (so-and-so and so-and-so) wear glasses, but I don't." I said, and I wear glasses too, but you and Pollito don't. We are all different." At this point we arrived at are destination and weren't able to continue this conversation.
However, now in my quiet time, I can't help but to feel both relieved and saddened. I'm relieved that he didn't say more specifically what makes him feel like he's different. I'm also saddened that the day will come. What will I say? How will I handle this? One thing's for sure, he may be different but he is not less. That's all that counts.
At this point I'm trying to calm my head and keep my composure. After all, I know the day will come when he's going to feel as if he's different from the typicals. So I ask him, "Why do you think you're different?" To be honest, I didn't know how I would react to his answer - assuming he knew he processed things differently from others.
To my (semi) relief, he continued to say, "My pants. They're black. I like jeans. This shirt is gray. I like my yellow Brazil shirt."
He then said, "Well, my school is different from my old school and my friends are different from my old friends. My teachers are different from my old teachers too. Some of my friends wear glasses and I don't."
Quickly and carefully, I said "Yes, they are. Everyone is different. That's what makes us all special and unique." He said, "I don't know what you mean." So I continued to tell him that we are all beautiful people with different things that makes us all special. For example, he knows all about animals and dinosaurs and that makes him different from me. I don't know much about those things. He said, "My friends (so-and-so and so-and-so) wear glasses, but I don't." I said, and I wear glasses too, but you and Pollito don't. We are all different." At this point we arrived at are destination and weren't able to continue this conversation.
However, now in my quiet time, I can't help but to feel both relieved and saddened. I'm relieved that he didn't say more specifically what makes him feel like he's different. I'm also saddened that the day will come. What will I say? How will I handle this? One thing's for sure, he may be different but he is not less. That's all that counts.
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