One of the aspects of my job is to work with students (3rd-5th graders) one on one in reading and math. There's one girl that I work with every day. Her poor 4 year old brother is battling cancer, and she eats up my attention because life at home is kind of crazy and scary right now.
I say all this because we definitely have a relationship established. She sees me as someone who rescues her from her classroom for 30 minutes each day, and I see her as an adorable, albeit wiggly and chatty, girl who is struggling at school and desperate for adult attention and affection.
A few weeks ago she looked at me and said, "Mrs. Tomberlin, you wear the same things to school. You literally have 2 outfits." (Remember, this girl sees me everyday!!!)
I wanted to roll my eyes, but I just simply told her that I don't have a lot "school" clothes, and I don't like trying to think of new outfits to put together. She asked why I didn't just go buy new clothes, and I told her that I didn't have money to do that.
In a total moment of sincerity, she pulled out the 67 cents in her jacket pocket and said, "You can have my money. I didn't know you were poor."
I smiled and assured her that I wasn't poor, but I very much appreciated her offering. She was completely baffled as to how I could be not poor yet not have money to buy clothes. It's all relative, sweet girl!
Well, yesterday I picked her up from her classroom, and we walked down the hall to our tutoring room. She said, "Mrs. Tomberlin, you look so pretty today! You have never worn that outfit before!" She continued to look me over from head to toe before she added, "I know none of that is new though because I have seen all of those pieces before!"
She paused. Then assured me, "But you ARE pretty!"
Though the world tells me I need to be skinny, trendy, and beautiful, I now know that to get the approval of my 3rd grade friend here, I just need to mix up my "pieces" to produce better outfits.
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