I cried with Zippy today. It was report card day. Most of you already know that report card day is NOT our favorite day.
Zippy got in the van and as quickly as he could, he dug out his report card to see how he had done. He was NOT pleased. He immediately started growling and crying and complaining about his Cs. “All I make are Cs!!” he cried.
He was mad and sad and disappointed. And, as always, I hated to see him hurting.
But then his anger and disappointment suddenly grew and exploded into a very emotional, painful cry as he yelled out, “I didn’t get anything special! I didn’t get anything!”
He said it several times before I knew what he was talking about.
“She was folding up certificates and stuff, and I didn’t get anything! I have always gotten something special! I didn’t get anything!”
He was heartbroken that he had not received the usual ribbon for achievement or coupons for a free kids meal at a local restaurant that he usually receives in his report card. For the first time ever, he had just received a report card in his report card envelope, and he was devastated. And the tears were flowing.
And as I watched him, my tears started flowing. Nothing special. He hadn’t gotten anything special. Just a report card that he was really disappointed in. And we were sad.
And I cried again tonight as I told Paul about it — that he was the saddest about not getting anything special.
But then I thought about our afternoon and evening. He had recovered fairly quickly from his disappointment. We picked up a friend from school when we picked up Elliot so that helped Zippy snap out of his sadness. He was a little gloomy and moody throughout the evening, but for the most part he was really okay and had mostly forgotten his heartbreak. And it probably helped that I made pancakes and bacon for dinner — who doesn’t like a dinner of pancakes and bacon to mend a broken heart?
As far as report card days go, this one wasn’t too bad. And now we’re done with report card days for another 6 weeks or so.
I. can. wait.
Ordinary Days 