What's in a name?

I've been spending my lovely days working. I love working! This job. This job is just amazing. I can't get over it. I'll talk more about it later though, but I'll leave you with one thought today.

These kids spend so much time creating, whether it's a piece of paper with stamps on it, a piece of paper with stickers on it, a piece of paper with beans on it, a piece of paper with a bit of maker on it, or just a piece of paper they seemed to like and deem their own.

Have you ever noticed what happens when you take that away from them? All heck breaks loose.

Let me tell you a story of my Kindergarten Days.

My name is Lara. The other girl in the class? Her name was also Lara. But that's MY NAME. Not her name! Mine!

One day, a day much like this, only I was five years old, we drew pictures of apple trees.

Lovely apple trees.

We did this by taking a sponge, dipping it in paint, and sponging it on the paper. Green pieces of paper. With green paint, slightly different than the green paper, slightly darker. And then red sponges to paint the apples.

Boy, I'll tell you. My apple tree was gorgeous. I signed my name on the line and hung that up.

I could tell it was mine. It was prettier, for one. It was painted hot dog style rather than hamburger style, for another.

That was my apple tree, not other Lara's. Mine.

The trees dried on the drying racks, and were hung on the wall for a few weeks or days or maybe minutes, time isn't a concept when you're that young.

Afterwards, the trees were taken off the wall, and the teacher handed them out.

To my shock and horror, I was handed the apple tree of other Lara.

"This isn't my apple tree!" I exclaimed!
"But it says your name on it, Lara." Said the teacher.
"This is the other Lara's apple tree!"

So we walked to other Lara, and showed her the tree. The teacher picked up both trees, and asked the other Lara to point to her tree.

Look at the two trees. One so gorgeous. Hamburger style. Glowing with excellence. The best darn sponge paint apple tree you've ever seen.

You'd do the same thing other Lara did, wouldn't you.

"That tree is mine!" She said, pointing to my lovely apple tree.

I was shocked. I was crushed. I didn't have the heart to argue. I was so confused.

To this day, other Lara has my apple tree. It's probably framed and on a wall in her elaborate luxurious house. She married rich, of course... a handsome young man looked at that tree and knew that with talent like that shown at such a young age, that other Lara must be something.

She is something alright.

She's a liar.

And she stole my life.