MEAN GIRLS

 Mean Girls Don’t Age Out — They Just Get Louder

This past week reminded me that Mean Girls don’t age out — they just get better lighting and better sound reinforcement.

I had a few uncomfortable run-ins that felt oddly intimidating. It made me think about how kids must feel when they’re targeted, and how quickly confidence can wobble when someone decides to flex power instead of kindness.

And then — just as quickly — the week righted itself.

By Friday, things were back where they belong. Mr. 11 brought home a flower from science class that didn’t make it into the dissection tray. I cooked a dinner that filled the house with good smells and better energy. I finished my holiday shopping (mostly local), sent my sister flowers for no reason at all, and remembered exactly who I am.

Earlier in the week, I was expected to clean up someone else’s work for a meeting I hadn’t even attended. When I declined — politely and repeatedly — the situation escalated. It didn’t go the way the instigator hoped. At the next Council meeting, when the spotlight turned to her to give her report, there was a long, quiet pause. Others spoke up. Clarity arrived. The moment grew… awkward. For her.

It passed.

Another meeting followed a similar pattern: pressure to name names rather than focus on improving process. I chose not to. Boundaries held. Silence, too, can be a decision.

Here’s the thing I keep relearning:

• I don’t need to win.
• I don’t need to explain myself endlessly.
• I don’t need to match negative energy.

• I can write it out (and not send).
• I can cook it out.
• I can walk away intact.

Mean Girls don’t win.

The win is walking away with your joy intact — and maybe a flower on the nightstand and family dinner from the kitchen.