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You know those folks you don’t get along with because you just… can’t? I have a couple of those, and it’s like I’ve just tried and tried and tried to get along with them but it fails every time.

Of course, it’s like that, but it’s not really that. Because I haven’t tried and tried and tried. I’ve tried and then given up because that person got on my nerves and made me mad.

While I was watching my first graders play the other day, I noticed that two of the girls are quite similar to me and to a girl that I haven’t been able to get along with for a while. Almost since I first met her. I’m sure I wrote a post about her and lamented about my trouble with her, because of course, it was all her fault. Just like it was in the first grade.

However, while I was watching these girls play, I noticed how the taller, brunette girl was playing mommy, very much like I used to. She knocks into things and falls down, uhh… almost just like I used to (and uhhh, still do). She also talks too much and likes to play by herself on occasion, even though most of the other kids usually have to play with someone else. She’s great, really. Really smart and catches on quickly. She even reads like I used to: advanced, but she likes to make up her own words to fit into the sentences.

And then, there’s this other girl. I’m not going to describe how she looks, because that’s more information than I care to share about the girl that I haven’t gotten along with for a while, but just take my word for it that they have a similar build and look. She can also be pretty smart; she’s a great reader, but she has trouble focusing. She also pouts when things don’t go her way, and she likes to show off. And dance… which is more like her just standing in the middle of the room shaking her booty, as she likes to call it. She also likes the boys, but only likes them when they can be of use to her.

But they’re friends. And they’re friends because they both want to be. It makes me think about how things would be if I WANTED to be friends with this other chick. If I was nicer and more giving. If I actually forgave and showed true love and forgiveness. Ugh. If I wanted.

Life as a whole would probably be a lot easier (though, probably more dramatic with her in my life as a specific example).

First graders teach me lots of things about people as a whole. They’re funny that way.

What’ve you learned from a kid (or group of kids) lately?