Life lessons at the Park

A visit to the park Saturday turned very ugly for my 4-year-old daughter. She encountered some other 6-year-old girls on a slide, who began calling her a monster. When my daughter asked them to stop and apologize, they promptly did - noting that they weren't cry babies and were big kids.

But what was said next was even more troubling. "We better say sorry because she's black," one of the girls told the other.

My heart dropped when I heard those words. How does a six year-old even begin to say these words? I called to my daughter and told her that we don't play with people who display such rude behavior. I told her that there was no need to try and be friends with someone who was going to be constantly mean to her.

After we walked away, I told her that she was beautiful and that I was very proud of her. She smiled, and said daddy, whenever we find someone is mean to us and they keep being mean, we just walk away right. I replied "you're right princess."

I didn't try to find the parents of these mean girls. They were no where in sight. I didn't try and correct these misinformed young women. My only concern was preserving the heart and innocence of my beautiful 4-year-old Grace.

I can only imagine that there will be other times that could conceivably be a bit tougher. But I had no idea, that the color of my daughter's skin would come into play with her peers before she even got to kindergarten.