Why I'm proud of my girl.

Hailey is her mamma's daughter. She's competitive. And dramatic. And loves to win. One of the challenges we have had with Hailey is explaining how to be a good sport. Most of the time she wins so when she loses, she has a really hard time with it. We've had to explain that quitting just because you aren't winning is not acceptable; that you have to be happy for other people when they succeed; that no one likes to play with someone who is a poor sport.

Hailey has been competing in the storytelling festival at school and she has done really, really well. She's picked the story herself, memorized it, added emphasis and inflection. She was downright adorable. I feel bad though because poor Hailey is my Guinea-pig-kid. I didn't know anything about the storytelling festival. I didn't know you could have costumes, props etc...

Apparently the other moms did.

Yesterday she got in the car and I asked her how her day was at school. She said, "It was good. I'm so happy for Fiona. She gets to (Hailey starts choking up) advance to the next level with her story and I'm so, so happy for her. (She's crying now.)

"Oh, Sweetie," I say, "Did you not make it to the next level?"

"No. I wanted to so much but I'm so happy for Fiona. She'll do so good! I thought my story was good, but Fiona had props and a costume. Plus she did a really good job." (She was weeping, but trying not to.)

Further (hopefully) comforting words from me.

This is huge. Fiona is the best friend Hailey has that's in her class. I know my girl and I know it must have been really hard for her to see her friend advance and not be able to herself.

Last night after Hai went to sleep I cried and cried. It's the first taste of rejection my little girl has had. And I wanted to shut all the doors and never let her out again. I wanted to smother her with love and kisses and tell her that she is the best. "Go Away Bad World," I wanted to scream! But instead I climbed in her bed after she was asleep and held her like she was a tiny baby. I whispered to her that she was amazing and that it hurt to be rejected but through it she has risen above her issues with sportsmanship; that it hurts but it will make her better and stronger. THEN I told her she was the best, and perfect and beautiful and loved. Then I tucked her in with her little blanked and kissed her frizzy head.

Welcome to the big bad world sweet Hailey. I'm proud of you.