May Day

May Day is a tradition in Hawaii that involves hula and Hawaiian costume at school, and that means that the girls up their hair up in buns.

"I wish I had a second ear," Maia said tonight. "You know why I don't want to go to Hokulani for 5th grade?"

Kristina had already told me this.

"Because you have to do hula and you have to put your hair up."

"You're beautiful, Sweetheart."

"But I don't like it," she said of her ear.

"I know, Sweetie. But it doesn't look that bad, you know."

"What if people make fun?" she asked.

"Well, you just have to ignore them, Sweetie."

"But I don't like that," she said.

"I wish I had a second ear."

"I wish you did, too."

I let her be for a while.

"Life isn't always fair, Sweetie, and when it isn't, you just have to make the best of it and move on."

She made a face like she was going to cry, but it was a dramatic face, and I laughed a little.

She could have gone that way, though, and so I also consoled her a little.

Not easy for her to put this together.

John, Saturday, April 30, 2011