I grew up on a dairy farm with my mother and step dad. Mostly things were normal in my early years. My mom loved me and I loved her and we both worked very hard with my step dad to keep the dairy business running. At first I really wasn't all that happy living with a herd of cows. The hard work wasn't so bad after you got used to it, but what gave me the hardest time was going to school smelling like a cow. It would be terrible on the school bus when everyone would tease me and not come near me because I smelled so bad. I got in the habit of taking a bath everyday but all I had to do is step in the barn for morning chores and the kids on the bus and in school would know and make me feel like a freak.
You would think that after awhile they would get tired of picking on me for the same stupid reason, but noooo, the teasing went on forever with no end in sight.
So one morning while my step dad was filling up the manure spreader he happened to look my way and saw that I was crying. He asked why and I told him I really didn't want to face the kids at school today and I told him why. He then took my hand and led me to his pick-up truck and off we went to talk to the principal at school.
I did appreciate what he was trying to do for me but he still had on his farm clothes and his barn boots were thick with manure. But when we got to the school he took my hand and led me down the school corridor to the principal’s office. On the way the school kids went absolutely crazy holding their noses, making choking sounds and pressing themselves against the wall to get as far away from us as possible as we walked by. I was sure my step dad was leaving manure foot prints behind as we made our way to the principal’s office.
We opened the door and walked into a small receptionist room. When my dad shut the door behind us the smell of manure was so thick you could cut it with a knife, The secretary looked up from her paperwork with a look of horror on her face. My dad told her we were here to see the principal and she immediately got up, opened the door to the principal’s office, went in, and slammed it shut. I knew she was in there trying to figure out a way to get rid of us as fast as possible.
But then a strange thing happened. I was at the absolute lowest point of my entire life when I looked into my step-dads' eyes. He was looking at me and I could feel his love pouring into me and replacing all the pain I was experiencing. He was smiling and I could tell that none of what was going on in this school mattered to him at all. I was the only person who mattered to him. And then for the first time in my life I let myself love him back and smiled. He then took my hand and we left the school.
ject]"> The kids continued to tease me for awhile after that but it didn't seem to bother me anymore. And then a miracle happened. They stopped teasing me.
You would think that after awhile they would get tired of picking on me for the same stupid reason, but noooo, the teasing went on forever with no end in sight.
So one morning while my step dad was filling up the manure spreader he happened to look my way and saw that I was crying. He asked why and I told him I really didn't want to face the kids at school today and I told him why. He then took my hand and led me to his pick-up truck and off we went to talk to the principal at school.
I did appreciate what he was trying to do for me but he still had on his farm clothes and his barn boots were thick with manure. But when we got to the school he took my hand and led me down the school corridor to the principal’s office. On the way the school kids went absolutely crazy holding their noses, making choking sounds and pressing themselves against the wall to get as far away from us as possible as we walked by. I was sure my step dad was leaving manure foot prints behind as we made our way to the principal’s office.
We opened the door and walked into a small receptionist room. When my dad shut the door behind us the smell of manure was so thick you could cut it with a knife, The secretary looked up from her paperwork with a look of horror on her face. My dad told her we were here to see the principal and she immediately got up, opened the door to the principal’s office, went in, and slammed it shut. I knew she was in there trying to figure out a way to get rid of us as fast as possible.
But then a strange thing happened. I was at the absolute lowest point of my entire life when I looked into my step-dads' eyes. He was looking at me and I could feel his love pouring into me and replacing all the pain I was experiencing. He was smiling and I could tell that none of what was going on in this school mattered to him at all. I was the only person who mattered to him. And then for the first time in my life I let myself love him back and smiled. He then took my hand and we left the school.
ject]"> The kids continued to tease me for awhile after that but it didn't seem to bother me anymore. And then a miracle happened. They stopped teasing me.
You're step dad is so sweet. You're very lucky enough to have him. My dad always do the same thing. I never felt alone because of him. Nice post suzzy =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lovely comment. It is nice to have a parent around who really cares.
ReplyDeleteCeritera yang bagus dan aku senang kau memiliki seorang ayah yang baik dan menyayangimu, aku mengharap segalanya bisa berjalan dengan baik dan sucses pada akhirnya kau dapatkan. Salam..
ReplyDeleteHey Klik, Thanks for wishing me well, I had to translate what you said in order to reply
ReplyDeleteChildren can be so cruel, can’t they? I’m glad things turned around though.
ReplyDeleteI can just visualize you and your step dad walking through the school like that :)
The enigmatic, masked blogger
Hi Mask, Thanks for stopping by. We really do like looking into each others' mind, don't we?
ReplyDeleteSuzzy, Thanks for stopping by my blog. This is a great story. As a former school administrator I used to struggle with dealing with these issues. I had a tiny little office and kept a candle that I could light when the air got "stuffy." I had numerous fragrant visitors. The "natural" smells were not as bad as the druggie smells, like the cat pee smell of meth. In any case, we would never tolerate students making fun of other students. Your stepdad was great. All kids need parents like that!
ReplyDeleteHi Nana, Yes school can be a trial for the students as well as the staff. Some how we all get through it, some better than others. Thanks for stopping by with your thoughts.
ReplyDelete