Embarrassing D...the first of many...

     It's official, my teenager has told me that I am embarrassing.  I knew that this was coming.  Some days I do silly things knowing that I am going to hear those words.  When we are grocery shopping and I dance to the music in the store...I know that I will hear it.  When we are in the car and I am singing off key...the way that I usually sing...I hear it.  There are times that she will join in with my singing and dancing, but they are not as often, so I treasure them.

     The newest embarrassing thing that I do is...are you ready for this...I speak to her friends whenever and wherever I see them.  I call them by name.  I speak to her classmates that I know, even the ones that she doesn't socialize with on a regular basis.  Chances are that if a kid has ever been in a class with D, I remember them.  And I speak their name when I see them.  Sometimes they remember me, other times they don't.  At an event the other day, a young man held the door for me.  I thanked him by name.  I got an eyeroll from my child.  At an event Jim and I attended a young man was our server.  I chatted with him, reminded him how I knew him, and I spoke his name.

     I want these young people to know that they matter, that someone knows who they are, that they are remembered.  They might not remember me, but I remember them, I know their name.  I remember them from kindergarden as we went on a field trip in the fall.  I remember them as a first grader singing "Tutti-Ta".  I remember them from reading to the class in third grade.  I remember riding the bus with them going on a fifth grade field trip.  I remember them from swimming club, band, fifth grade choir, hand chimes....I want them to know that someone remembers them.

     D is going to have to deal with the embarrassment because I won't stop doing this.  I won't stop sharing memories of these kids on Facebook.  I won't stop chatting with them when I see them at the local store.  It might be a small thing, but I want these kids to know that I remember them.  I want them to know that I know their name.  I want them to know that they are special, that they are unique, that they are fearfully and wonderfully made.  I will continue to use their names when I see them.