*It's best to just let the Mario impression go!*

A group of kids I babysit for were playing together over in a corner. I heard the conversation getting a little heated, so I listened closer in order to step in if I needed to. A little boy stood there very frustrated and finally burst out: "I like bugs! I like dirt…but I DON'T like you!!!" Uh oh…red alert.

"We NEVER say we don't like somebody EVER." I said as I walked over to break up the scene. The little boy looked at me frazzled:"I mean I do like her, but I don't like her as a girlfriend! She keeps calling me her boyfriend and it's embarrassing me!" I brought the girl over with me to try to coax her into games with the girls, but she had her eyes on that boy the entire time. She proceeded to get dirt and bugs out on the table. "Over here…look over here! I have your FAVORITE stuff…all you have to do is come over with ME!"

The little boy looked scared and ran behind the corner. She watched him and turned slowly to me with such sad eyes explaining the way she felt. "But he IS my boyfriend, Miss Abby. I love him. I love him SO much!" I picked her up in a tight embrace and put her in my lap. "First of all, you are way too young to have a boyfriend, and secondly, he has to feel the same way. You can't force someone to love you back and I know that can be hard." She held me tighter in a dejected hug and whispered quietly: "But I have all of his favorite bugs…why doesn't he like me?"

Her words trailed off in my head as I was transformed into my fifth grade self on the day I asked myself the same thing for the first time. I had really liked this boy and a few people told me that they were SURE he was going to ask me out. I picked out my favorite butterfly earrings and Pooh shirt that were sure to impress and couldn't wait till I saw him that day. This was it…I was finally going to be a cool girl with a boyfriend!

About lunchtime I was standing at my locker and noticed him down the hall out of the corner of my eye. My heart started beating so fast I could literally feel it about to jump out of my chest. "THIS IS IT!!!" I thought to myself in anticipation. I saw him smiling and knew exactly why…the closer he got, the more excited I became. He continued getting nearer and nearer and I finally faced his way directly. To my utter horror he began to laugh and point at me…he continued to laugh as he walked by and his friend screamed "DOUBLE CHIN likes him!" as they both hunched over in hysterics. Before I knew it, they were both gone and I was just left with myself.

I quickly grabbed the cabage patch doll that lived in my locker and ran to the bathroom. I began to cry so hard that I feared I'd never stop. I looked in the mirror and stared very intently, noticing that I DID infact have a double chin. I hugged the doll tight and tried to comfort myself the best way I knew how….by talking to a doll. "Oh Hannah, I do have a double chin. I can never leave this bathroom! I really thought he liked me…why doesn't he like me?" Hannah didn't respond.

As the memory faded in my mind, I grabbed the little girl a bit closer. That day effected me for a long time and I didn't want this day to effect her. "You are a very special girl and you shouldn't be worried about boys! Put your dirt and bugs away and go have some fun." She looked at me still very upset "But I'm so sad. I love him so much." I could totally relate to what she was saying, but seeing the scared little boy made me realize the other side of the story. "Baby, sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love is to leave them alone. You wouldn't want to embarrass someone you love, would you?" "No…I guess not." "Exactly. Believe me, I know how this can be. Did you know that I liked a boy for a whole year who did not like me back? I gave him my own dirt and bugs, but it never did any good. Take it from me….it's better to leave it alone. He will be better off and so will you!"

"Well, his mario impression is so great, though." "I bet it is! And I'm sure the guy I liked has a killer mario impression, too, but I have to let that go. When you are old enough you will end up with a man who does a fine mario impression and he might even do luigi, too…I truly believe that. Let's leave the mario's alone and go for the ones who can do more than one impression and are smart enough to like us back. And MAYBE just MAYBE they will have dirt and bugs waiting for US." She looked at me with a thoughtful look and after a second shouted: "Okay! You're right! I'll let it go!" I smiled at her and hugged her again "Good…that's the most loving thing you can do for him and yourself which makes me VERY proud. You are such a precious little girl and I really do love you! Now STOP thinking about boys for at least ten more years and go have a blast!"