I happened to talk to my friend Laura today. She had something interesting (and encouraging) to tell me. Last night was our town’s walkabout. Businesses set up freebies and items to buy, and the whole town turns out to check it all out. Santa greets children and adorable ponies pull a cart full of little ones. I usually make the rounds, but I stayed in this year. Ysabela went to have some fun.

Bela happened to bump into Laura’s mom. Laura wasn’t with her at the time, so Bela didn’t connect the two. They chatted for a bit, then Bela saw Laura’s daughters. Laura’s mom commented later that Bela was so respectful and nice. Laura passed that along to me, which thrilled my tired mommy heart. It was just what I needed to hear after a long, hard week. Laura’s mom went on to say that it was nice to see a teenager who was able to interact with both an unknown adult and small children. Most teens think they are “too cool” to play with little ones. (Laura, you are welcome to correct any errors and/or clarify as needed!)

That leads to me to huge point I would like to make: there is a difference between socializing and socialization. Socializing is just chatting with friends and hanging out. Kids do a lot of that at school. It can be positive or negative depending on the kids and the situation. Socialization is the ability to interact appropriately with people of all ages and walks of life in any situation. I am proud of my Ysabela because she is a sweet, generous, considerate teenager.