Pain of our Children

Odd emotions attached to parenting.
I have had on many occasions, the challenge of feeling the pain of a my child when they suffer an emotional blow inflicted by friends (or lack thereof).
Ceara has always been my dark horse of a child. Wonderfully, I find her temperament and personality invigorating - others find her obnoxious and challenging. She is that person that many meet and instantly dislike. People like vanilla, and she is certainly not that. I adore her, dark brooding person that she is. So, thru her life I have had to console and talk thru some very difficult friend and teacher relationship issues. Rough. As a parent we really just want people to like our kids and life not to be so rough on them.
Well, the tides have turned. Ceara is sailing, she is sharply able to manage her friend issues, assert and defend herself in may situations and understand completely that sometimes, people just don't like you, so move on.
Now it is Declan who is suffering a similar fate. I am having a rough time figuring it out. He is my sunshine. He was born happy. People love him the minute they meet him. But not so much here on Camano Island.
I arranged a birthday party for him, and invited all his classmates. Only one showed up.
One.
Thanks God for that one. Otherwise I don't know how I would have consoled him.
In addition to all this - he is pining away for his dad...
Life is tough for Declan right now - and it is tough for his mom to watch him live thru and wonder how it will change him. Wonder if this is what is his destiny, what is needed to shape him to be the person he was born to be....
Parenting is rough.