Rumor Mill

The conversation began with this question, "Mom, has anyone ever told a really bad rumor about you?"

Oh, if she only knew. In high school and college I was a rumor magnet. And if you fully understood what a good girl I was, I'm serious here, you would be hard pressed to explain it. The high school stuff owed to the fact that my dad was the youth pastor at our church (reason number 1 why I believe in a celibate clergy. I don't care who you ordain but don't drag the kids into it!) When people didn't like what he did or said it always somehow came back on me. Easy target. College was more a function of my being a largish fish in a small pond. I didn't smoke or drink and I was a virgin. But when people know who you are....

Anyway, I answered in the affirmative and then asked, "Is there a rumor about you?"

"Yes. Apparently (she loves that word) someone is saying that I was kissing M. behind the portable". (Go ahead. Savor that for a second. I did. How classic!) Before I could say anything else she turned her baby blues full on me and said, "And NO, we weren't!"

(When I told The Spouse he said, "Well, of course they weren't kissing. He's gay!" Just keep telling yourself that, honey. They're all gay).

We talked about rumors, about how the best way to squelch them is by not playing along and rising above it and all that. I told her about the variety of ways M. may react when he finds out and how to handle that.

But that's not the real point of the story. As I've mentioned before, The Child has had trouble finding real friends in her classes at school, despite the ease with which she makes and keeps them in every other circumstance of her life. Things have been a lot better this year and for the first time she has what I think you could call true friends. I love those kids.

It was her friend, N., who had tipped her off. A couple of other girls rallied around her, saying they didn't believe it and she shouldn't worry. One of the girls even offered the odd solace that "people only gossip about popular kids" so she should take some comfort in that. Ah, the mind of a 12 year old. Although I suppose she has a point. N. decided they should alert the teacher, since they didn't know who had started it. She did so and The Child thanked her later in the cloak room. (I love that they have a cloak room). N. said, "You're my friend, Child, and I'm not going to let anyone say anything mean about you".

The Child grinned as she told me this and said, "She has my back, Mama".

God bless N. A good girlfriend is more valuable than rubies.