Break ups hurt. There is no way good way to treat a broken heart, only time can relieve the pain. For young teens, a break up seems like the world is coming to an end. Their emotions are new to them and they feel these emotions more intense. My daughter was only 13 when she fell in love with a classmate. I felt she was perhaps too young for such things hoped she would wait a while longer before discovering boys.
Claire had known her suitor for two years prior but it was their mutual love of athletics that brought them together. She was the captain of her girl's soccer league and he was on the school football team. The school had an after school coed training program in which all students involved in sports trained together regardless of their sport. The workout program was one of the unique aspects that made this academy the more popular choice for parents. The students and the parents were more involved with each of the sports offered by the academy and not just the one their own kids played.
They had begun to pair off for workouts and soon included study time and lunch together as part of their daily schedule. I kept a watchful eye on the developing relationship. I knew my daughter to be a responsible person and I knew the boy's parents from my school days. He was a good kid and had been raised to be respectful of a young lady. When the trouble started I was relieved it was not an issue of inappropriate behavior. It was a matter quite impossible for either of them to overcome.
The second quality of the academy that made it a popular parent's choice was its outstanding record for quality education. Students were made familiar with college level subjects and prepared for the challenges of college curriculum. They had access to scholarships and each student groomed to meet and exceed the requirements. Maintaining good grades was mandatory and drops in performance were addressed promptly. Claire's grades remained high but her new friend had begun to slip.
It was difficult for my daughter to understand how she could be considered a distraction. As parents, we had seen it coming. She would be focused on the subject of study while he would only focus on her. We were prepared somewhat by the time the midterm grades were tallied.
The boy’s grades had dropped significantly. He would have to sit out the remainder of his athletics program and spend his after school time in the academy's academic mentorship. The parents and the teachers meet and discuss these issues up front should they become a hindrance to the performance of the students. The boy had decided for himself to end the relationship. Claire was devastated.
Thankfully the only good thing about the situation was that Claire had Thanksgiving break to recover or risk her own grades while mending a wounded heart. The reasons seemed even worse for Claire. She felt responsible and guilty for becoming a distraction as the teachers had said. I agreed with the boy's mother they could have not been so quick to lay all the blame of the girls. The boy’s mandatory school uniforms were sharp and made them to resemble future leaders of industry. The girls were made to look like something from a cheesy anime production. The public school girls frequently referred to the girls attending the academy as ‘Britneys’. Any red blooded young boy would be perpetually distracted.
All I could do as a father was keep plenty of chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa on hand. It was heartbreaking to watch. At Thanksgiving dinner Claire tried to hide her pain but this only made her seem like a broken doll sitting at the table. She was hugged and kissed so much her cheeks were red by the time we got home. She returned to her room and closed the door. I could hear her crying in the night. My mother and her grandmother agreed it would be better to let her get through this on her own. I tried but I could not do it.
I went into the kitchen and put a pizza into the oven. I made a bowl of raw cookie dough and put all the 2 liter bottles of soft drinks in the living room. I turned on the TV and paid for every single one of the movies on Claire's wish list. I knocked on the door and found my daughter curled on her bed staring at her wall and holding tightly to her blue baby blanket. I wrapped her listless body in a blanket and carried her to the living room couch. I started the movie marathon.
I'm not proud of what I did next but the situation called for desperate measures. In her despair, my daughter had neglected her toes. I took her foot and scrubbed the chipped paint from her toe nails and replied a fresh coat as neatly as I could. I even put the cotton between the toes. My daughter stared at her left foot for a moment then dropped her right foot into my lap. It was near daylight outside when my daughter fell asleep on the couch. She had smiled and even giggled during the funnier parts of our list of Disney movies. My daughter's heart was well on the mend and her toes immaculate.
Previously Posted on FullofKnowlege.com
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