She's A Natural-Born Leader

                                     

Well, we did indeed get our snow day....and I'm going to go ahead and say that tomorrow will also be a snow day being that some areas received 7+ inches of snow and ice and the temps are not supposed to get above freezing today.  

And on today's agenda is spending time with my kiddos and just having a relaxing day...thrown in with a little fun, family cleaning of our house!!

But, that's not what I'm going to bore you with today.  Today, I'm going to share some more words of wisdom, some more deepness, and shed some light on something my Peanut is currently dealing with and handling like a champ.  Or wolf.  However you want to look at it.

For the past couple of weeks, Peanut and some of her friends have reported to me that there's a whirlwind of drama blowing down the hallways.  Jealous girlfriends, minions, troublemakers, and downright bullies joining forces to make the lives of a select few girls' lives miserable.  

And, at first, I just took it as a run of the mill argument or bickering among grade levels and cliques.  But, from what I've discovered, there's WAY more to it than that.  

Some of the name calling and viciousness I've read in the past few days have made my stomach turn.  Twelve and thirteen year old girls and the language that some of them use is downright DISGUSTING!! 

Peanut being verbally attacked because she is friends with boys, and called some pretty nasty names because of it.  Some of her friends being verbally attacked and called the same nasty names because they choose not to associate with certain people.  Other girls verbally attacked because they, too, are friends with certain guys who broke up with their girlfriends.  

It's ridiculous, childish, and downright MEAN.

But, all those girls made one very BIG mistake.  They honestly didn't know who they were messing with.  

The picture I posted with today's post was a picture Peanut herself found and posted on her Facebook wall.  And, the minute I saw it, I couldn't help but smile.  The words couldn't be more true.

Throw my daughter to the wolves, and she'll come back leading the pack.

She won't retaliate with hate or nastiness.  She won't stoop down to the level of some of the trash that's being thrown her way.  She won't threaten bodily harm to anyone.

Her attack uses one of her many strengths....her leadership.  

There's something engrained in my child that won't allow her to become a victim.  Theres' something engrained in her that won't allow others to become victims.  She is powerful, strong, a worthy leader.  She will stand up for what she believes in, fight for what's right, and will protect anyone that doesn't have the ability or courage to stand up for themselves.

She has reported to me that several people in her grade have made the claims that they can't WAIT to get out of their school and move on to high school.  They are just sick of the troublemakers, sick of the drama, and just want to leave it all behind and forget about it.

This makes Peanut very sad.

She has looked forward to her 8th grade year for a while.  Last year, I know that's all she talked about. How she couldn't wait to do all the fun things that 8th grade offered, be the leaders of the school, and go out with a Big Bang of fun, memories, laughter, and happiness.

But, there are people that are now invading on that happiness, and Peanut just won't stand for it.  

This is only the second year Peanut has attended her school, but it's been long enough to mean something to her.  

The group of kids that took her in, made her apart of their group, even though those kids have been together since birth.  She was an outsider, yet that didn't stop them from welcoming her, accepting her, and treating her like she's been there her whole life.

The teachers that push her, challenge her, recognize her potential and use it to empower her.  They don't treat her any differently because she's a "teacher's kid" and she absolutely ADORES that about them.  She's like everyone else.  She has her favorite teachers, and her not so favorite teachers... all joining together to mold the beautiful, smart, and powerful young lady she's becoming.  

The assistant principal that, before becoming the assistant principal this year, helped her find a love for athletics.  She enjoys sports.  She enjoys the challenge and the memories that are created just by being a part of a team.  He helped her find strengths she didn't even know she had.  He helped her discover talents that were waiting to be discovered.  And, as assistant principal, he continues to remind her with a few quick words of banter in the halls.

E.  Who maybe one of my best friends, but is a staff member that works very closely with the kids and builds strong relationships with them.  Peanut has looked to her for guidance and counsel.  E has provided her some cold, hard truths but does it in a way Peanut can respond to.  E has embraced Peanut's leadership qualities and helped Peanut focus them to be used in the best of ways.

And Mrs. P.  The one and only principal that Peanut has EVER bonded with.  Peanut knows that no matter what the situation, what's troubling her, Mrs. P is ALWAYS there to listen, offer advice, and support.  

And all of the above goes for EVERY SINGLE STUDENT in that school.  

The students that welcome new kids.  The faculty and staff that build special bonds with their students.  The administration that go above and beyond to make sure that their students' time in their school is educational, fun, and meaningful.

Peanut feels that it's EXTREMELY important to fight to ensure that every kid that moves on to high school next year does so excited about their new adventures, but keeping their homeschool as a special place in their hearts.

She will NOT allow for those students to spend the rest of their 8th grade year counting the days down to "get out of the place" with a bad taste in their mouth because of some of the nastiness that's causing the time to be anything but amazing.

And because of that, I couldn't be more proud or honored to call her my daughter.

Way ahead of her years... but, in a good way.

She doesn't tattle.  She doesn't go running to a teacher anytime someone says something or does something she doesn't agree with.  She doesn't try and shield herself away or pretend like nothing is happening.

Instead, she rallies the troops.  Offers words of support and encouragement.  Seeks out assistance and guidance.  She delegates and strategizes.  

Think Mel Gibson in Braveheart with that blue paint all over his face, giving that powerful speech to his people.

Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die. Run and you'll live -- at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!!!

Except I think Peanut's would be more along the lines of...

Fight, and you might get hurt.  Run, and you'll escape the bad... at least for a while.  And in that high school or on graduation day, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to think back of your days at our jr. high and tell our enemies that they may have tried to take away our happiness, but they'll never take our memories!!!!

I know, at the end of the day, Peanut will NOT stand by and allow a select few to make people's lives miserable.  She will not stand by and watch her friends get called nasty names, get treated badly, or their happiness taken away.  She will not stand by and allow others to say nasty things about her.  

She will act.  She will lead.  And she will fight tooth and nail to ensure that the last few months of her Jr. High days are fun, happy, and memorable.  

So, in a way, I kind of feel sorry for those unaware kids who are laughing and high-fiving over the misery that they are causing.  I feel sorry for the fact that they have NO idea who they are messing with.  They have NO idea how passionate my daughter is.  They have NO idea how much it means to Peanut for her and her friends to be happy and enjoy their last few months of Jr. High.

Because she has been thrown in to the wolves....and is emerging as their leader.

(I just want to add this little blurb to anyone that may read this and get alarmed or concerned.  First, I made the situation sound a lot more dramatic with how I wrote about it.  Second, the majority of the "issues" take place outside of school on social media sites.  Third, the kids are not fighting this battle alone, and the adults that need to be notified have been and are acting on the situations.  Fourth, there have been no violent acts or threats of a violent nature made.  This really is something I felt passionate to write about just because of the way Peanut is approaching the situation.  I am proud of her leadership qualities, and her passion for defending and protecting what is important to her.  She has absolutely NO TOLERANCE for bullying or even the slightest hint of nastiness towards people for no rhyme or reason.)