“I’ve Already Had Enough”
Mia had been doing something similar at home.
Whenever we went shopping, she would look for the cheapest option.
If she wanted a snack, she’d ask:
“Is this too expensive?”
If I offered to buy her something she really liked, she’d sometimes put it back.
“I don’t really need it.”
And I’d praised her for it.
I told her she was mature.
Considerate.
Thoughtful.
Generous.
Now I wondered whether I’d misunderstood her.
Maybe she wasn’t simply being considerate.
Maybe she was learning to believe that her own needs should always come last.
Denise continued.
“Her cabinmates actually created a rule.”
“A rule?”
“They call it the Mia Rule.”
I almost smiled.
“What is that?”
“Nobody is allowed to give away their turn until they’ve taken their own turn first.”
I laughed softly.
But Denise didn’t.
“They’ve been protecting her from herself.”
Then she said something that stayed with me.
“Mia doesn’t need to become less generous. She needs to understand that generosity doesn’t mean disappearing.”
