In A World Of Nellies…Be a Laura
(This blog post was originally published on our Facebook page in March of 2024).
A young lady recently decided to tease a daughter of ours about our family lifestyle.
"You have chickens! You have to homeschool!" She taunted with superiority.
"Yes?" My daughter replied, one eyebrow quietly quirked.
"You go to the farmers market! You have a garden! Only old folks do that." The girl spat. "I get to sleep in and hang out with my friends. And I have SO many friends at my school. Who do you have? Siblings. They don't even count."
"That's not really true, but okay." My daughter rolled her eyes. Teasing isn't exactly a new concept among siblings, but this was the first time a stranger had gone on the attack in a public setting.
"You should be named Laura, because you live her life! Laura, Laura, Laura!" The girl taunted, waiting for the reaction she thought she'd receive.
This continued for some time. The young lady continued to point out how our lives are old-fashioned, out-moded, and not trendy.
There were questions about owning the latest iphone, watching the latest television drama, and that ever-present status symbol and ownership of the Stanley cup.
Our wise, level-headed daughter, taking the high road, dismissed it but later came to me for counsel and comfort.
"Mom, I didn't know what to say." she said. "She just kept calling me Laura and pointing out how much better she was (than us.)"
"Well, you did the right thing, I think." I replied. "Let me ask you something: does our lifestyle bother you?"
"No!" she replied. "I love our life!"
"Well then, I guess you'll have to let it go. She must not have much going for her if she's got time to tease you." I said. "Try to remember that the next time she goes on the attack."
"It's bad of me," my daughter concluded. "But she's acting just like that Nellie in the Little House books. And even though I'm not Laura, I'd much rather be a Laura than a Nellie any day."
Me too, kid. Me too.
Niccole Perrine
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