And I did that today, earlier, and my mind was free to enjoy the evening walk with SD and the kids. We admired the large powder puff clouds mingling around the vivid blue sky. Breath taking. Thank you God for another beautiful day.
Midway through our walk, I see someone that I have attempted to meet more than once, only to have short, abbreviated conversations with. She is on the committee of our Moms Club chapter, a real go getter. Gotta love those people, I relish their energy and enthusiasm. I couldn't wait any longer to spark up more than a few minute conversation. It had been 6 months of waving to each other as I drove by her house everyday, Gabe asleep in the car after school, unable to stop and chat. Here was my chance. She was outside with her little girl and husband. We talked about our garage sale we had this past weekend (It went well, thanks for asking :o) and some of the outfits of Boo that had been passed on to another cutie, her daughter. The conversation felt good, easy, flowed nicely. On to school in the fall, where are our kids going. I mentioned that Boo would not be attending the public school in our neighborhood, but another one a few miles away. She went on to say that we probably saved ourselves a lot of hassle, that most people will not be going to our neighborhood school. Our elementary school is a Blue Ribbon school and is rated very highly in Michigan.
"Really?" I was surprised.
"Yeah," she rolls her eyes, "Peanuts are not allowed in school anymore."
SD and I have always talked about inventing a machine that could instantly beam you anywhere, similar to Star Trek. This was a time that it really would have come in handy. Either she would have to go or I.
"Your kids have peanut allergies, right?" She waved her hand towards them.
I stood there stunned by her blatant ignorance.
"Well, anyway," she continues, ignoring the look on my face, "Why should 500 students suffer for one child?"
"What if my kids eat peanut butter in the morning? We eat peanut butter all the time, then what are we supposed to do?"
"It's airborne too, the allergy that is.....Why should we have to change." She ended with total conviction.
I could only say this without ripping her head off, "Wow, I feel for that mom."
This woman is on a committee for a MOM's club. And she ranted in front of my daughter who is four and anaphylactic to peanuts. She fell (Actually kicked with great force) right off my People That Matter In The World list.
Here's my two cents on peanut butter consumption and children...
1. If you believe that peanut butter is such an important part of your child's diet, you need to see a nutrionist.
2. A child spends , on average, 7 hours in school a day. That leaves 17 hours outside of school to totally glutton themselves of peanut butter. Let's even give them 8 hours of rest each night, it still leaves a child 9 hours to eat as much peanut butter outside of school that they want.
3. If you think that eating peanut butter is more important than saving a child's life well....Your morals are in disarray!!!!!
4. This is a great opportunity to teach your children about compassion, adaptability and being a responsible person in the community.
5. And last, but most importantly, you will kill my child if she is near peanut butter.
Shouldn't that be enough? You'd think.
I had to then spend part of our special time before bed with Boo trying to explain why (the mean bitchy woman) the lady we talked to was talking about peanuts so much and why she was so angry. I hated telling her that some people do not understand how important it is that she not be by ANY peanuts. Some people do not get it, and she, sadly, was one of them. Her look was a look of rejection. Like she had been rejected. Oh I wanted to go over to that woman's house and rip her head off and shove peanut butter down it.
Would that be enough? Enough for me to let go of this hurt and anger? You'd think.
